Over the summer, CEO and President of TransDigm Group Incorporated, Dr. Kevin Stein, spoke to a group of Clemson University PEER & WISE students, educating them on TransDigm, sharing significant insights and encouragement, and engaging in a lively Q&A session. PEER & WISE student Hadley Smith was astounded by this opportunity exclaiming, “I’ve never met a CEO before!” prior to launching into burning questions she had for Dr. Stein.

TransDigm Group Incorporated was founded in 1993 and is a leading global producer, designer and supplier of highly engineered aerospace components that are used on nearly all commercial and military aircraft in service today. Dr. Stein is extremely proud of developing and promoting a diverse workforce. TransDigm’s efforts to achieve this reach go beyond their employees and extend to fostering talent in students, especially those who are underrepresented and have financial needs.

The Doug Peacock Scholarship program provides financial support to minority students pursuing postsecondary education in the fields of engineering and business. Their commitment to diversity extends beyond scholarships, additionally funding the summer experience program for Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention and Women in Science and Engineering (“PEER” & “WISE”). This program supports incoming freshmen majoring in engineering. It is designed for students to become familiar with the campus, preview what their first semester may look like academically, and assist with their transition from high school to college. The success of this program is reflected in the high retention rate of over 90% for Clemson students who participated.

Over the past four years, Doug Peacock Scholars at Clemson University have received valuable assistance and opportunities thanks to the generosity of TransDigm. TransDigm also takes it a step further and offers internships and employment opportunities to their Doug Peacock Scholars. Champion Aerospace, a local operating unit of TransDigm, is highly involved with Clemson University. They recently welcomed a group of over 40 PEER & WISE students to their Liberty, South Carolina facility where the students received a private tour and had the opportunity to hear directly from Jason Marlin, a TransDigm Executive Vice President and former President of Champion Aerospace.

Dr. Stein’s meeting with our students was followed by exciting news. TransDigm Group Inc. pledged to renew their support of the Doug Peacock Scholarship and PEER & WISE funding to Clemson University students for an additional four years. A valuable piece of advice Dr. Stein left with the students was, “Be a constant and continuous learner. Read more and make yourself more marketable. If you invest in yourself, you will be wildly successful.”

Doug Peacock Scholar, Quinnya Burns, is a shining example of a student who has taken this lesson to heart. She is a junior, majoring in business management, and an extremely active student, making the most of her college experience. She is passionate about music and has been playing the clarinet as a member of the Tiger Band since 2022. Burns shared, “My biggest accomplishment has been finding my purpose and reestablishing my passions, along with effectively sharing it with others around me. I have been given the opportunity to work with Clemson admissions and recruitment; teaching prospective students about what Clemson can offer and showing them that they can go to college no matter what hardships they have faced. I have also been appointed as one of the Tiger Band Clarinet Section Leaders for the 2024 football season. I am just grateful to be in these positions because I love to lead and help people reach their goals.”

As a business major, Burns understands the importance of making connections and expanding horizons. Outside of class, she participates in the Minority Business Student Association. This organization supports underserved business majors in learning more about the opportunities and experiences available in different careers. She enjoys the service projects the MBSA organizes, especially those that take place off campus because she believes they demonstrate to students that campus is not where their success will end, but where it begins.

Burns has been a Doug Peacock Scholar since her freshman year and it has made a significant impact on her life. According to Burns, “The Doug Peacock Scholarship has provided financial support and encouragement throughout my time here at Clemson. From the monetary aid to the messages sent to recipients throughout the semester to give us a boost of encouragement, it has been a relief for me. I am very grateful to TransDigm Group for their support and care for students like me.”

This post is adapted from an article published on The Clemson News website at https://news.clemson.edu/transdigm-group-inc-empowering-futures-and-fueling-college-dreams/.  The Clemson News is the go-to source for stories and news about the innovations, research and accomplishments of the Clemson Family.