Deben Peterson gets a taste of the space industry

Image
Deben Peterson ‘21

Charlotte, N.C./Sept. 22, 2020 – Deben Peterson ‘21 is fresh off his internship with Lockheed Martin Space. The rising senior, who received the highest clearance with the company, spent part of his summer working with the company’s satellite simulation to help debug flight software before launch.

“I grew up near NASA, in Brevard County, Florida, so I always have been fascinated with space,” Peterson said. “I was intentional about researching companies that were involved in the space industry.”

Peterson has always had dreams of becoming a software developer or working with product management. This internship helped him gain the necessary professional development for his career.

“While school provides the basic tools needed for your career, at an internship you get the hands-on training required for the role you may one day possess,” he emphasized, when speaking on the benefits of an internship.

Related Articles

Group shot with Dr. Eugene Okyere-Kwakye
Africa has one of the highest rates of international research collaboration, especially with major scientific power houses like the United States. In October, Dr. Alphonso Ogbuehi, Dean of the Johnson C. Smith University College of Business invited Dr. Eugene Okyere-Kwakye, Dean of the School of Business at Koforidua Technical University in Ghana, to the Charlotte-based campus of JCSU. The conversation on campus was an extension of conversations that began in Ghana during a JCSU delegation trip led by President Kinloch July 2025. The conversation that emerged in October at JCSU continues to shed light on international collaborations that may occur in the future. 
View Content
Home
Johnson C. Smith University, a proud member of UNCF (United Negro College Fund) announced this week that it will benefit from a landmark $70 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to UNCF. The gift will be invested in the UNCF Members Pooled Endowment Fund, a groundbreaking initiative designed to strengthen the long-term financial health of all 37 private UNCF-member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
View Content
Group shot of the speakers and students after the Way Forward Lyceum
On September 11, 2025, the Johnson C. Smith University Office of Institutional Advancement and University Communications and Marketing brought together Charleston-born leaders Councilman Malcolm Graham ‘85, President Valerie Kinloch, Ph.D. ‘96, and the Honorable Harvey Gantt in a powerful dialogue on faith, race, and resilience. 
View Content
Back To Top