After graduating from high school, Cody VanHubert enlisted in the U.S. Army and worked in satellite communications. He monitored satellites for six years while in the Army, and then another three years while working for the Department of Defense (DoD) after his enlistment ended. He had an interesting and rewarding job, but after nine years away, he knew it was time to come home to Cortland County. 

“When I left the DoD, it was because my wife and I decided to return home and start a family,” he said. The decision to come back to New York was the easy part. Finding a local job that utilized the very unique skill set he had developed while in the Army proved to be a bigger challenge, so he pivoted. “I decided it was time to pursue a degree,” he said. “TC3 was my first idea because I grew up in the area and was familiar with the name, and I knew many people who went there.” 

VanHubert enrolled in the engineering science program, with an eye on pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering once he graduates from TC3. He has excelled in the classroom, and decided to take his learning outside the classroom with an internship.

“I was searching for summer opportunities and came across the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program through the National Science Foundation,” said VanHubert. The highly competitive REU program didn’t have space for him, but his application caught the attention of people at the world-renowned Cornell Nanoscale Facility (CNF). “CNF reached out to me though and offered me an internship, which I interviewed for, and I got accepted.” 

VanHubert spent the summer helping the staff at CNF within the cleanroom. “For one hour a day, I restock the cleanroom, refill the chemicals in the machines, and generally tidy the photolithography spaces,” he said. “For the rest of the day, I am free to learn and use the equipment. I receive training on many of the tools used in nanofabrication, and I've been slowly learning the CMOS process used to make modern day computer processors, memory, etc.” 

Like many internships, this one complements the classroom education the student received while providing a valuable experience that is extremely relevant to the field they want to enter. “It gives me opportunities to use math and science that I have learned at TC3 in a real-world environment,” said VanHubert, noting the internship not only builds on classes he has already taken, but it can have a positive impact on future classes, too. 

“Getting some experience in a field that I'm interested in while I'm midway through my degree gives some context to the classes I will take in the future. Sometimes it's hard to figure out why something you are learning is useful, but if you have had some foundational experience in that field, it can give some relevance to what you're learning.”

On schedule to graduate from TC3 in May 2026, VanHubert will complete his four-year degree at a top local university, with plans to apply to Binghamton University, Cornell University, and Syracuse University.