From classroom to career

Connecting students with industry

One of the Career Center's greatest strengths is its ability to connect students with employers across the Houston region.

Among the center's top non-education employers in 2024-25 were MD Anderson Cancer Center, Amentum, Houston Methodist-Clear Lake, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), and Space Center Houston. Leading education employers included Pasadena Independent School District (ISD), Galena Park ISD, Houston ISD, Clear Creek ISD, and Alvin ISD.

For students interested in aerospace and technology careers, UHCL's location in the heart of Houston's aerospace corridor offers unique advantages. Broadhurst chose UHCL because of those opportunities.

"I grew up in the Clear Lake area and was familiar with the university's strong connections to the aerospace industry," he said. "Its proximity to major aerospace companies and its relationship with NASA made it an appealing place to pursue my degree."

That same proximity is one reason Intuitive Machines actively recruits UHCL students.

"The primary reason we had interest in partnering with UHCL is that we try our best to make sure that we're tapping into the local ecosystem," said Clifton Miller, senior talent acquisition specialist at Intuitive Machines.

Miller noted that many current employees are UHCL alumni and that the university's location, just minutes from the company's headquarters, makes the relationship a natural fit.

"With UHCL being 10 to 15 minutes down the road, it just makes sense," Miller said.

He also sees a strong pipeline of talent emerging from the university.

"There's a good pipeline of engineering and software engineering talent coming out of UHCL," Miller said.

Turning opportunities into careers

For Broadhurst, the internship that began through the Career Center became the foundation for a full-time career in the space industry.

Today, he develops embedded Linux software for payload systems supporting space missions.

"My experience at UHCL gave me both the technical foundation and problem-solving mindset needed to work in the aerospace industry," Broadhurst said. "The computer science curriculum helped me build a strong understanding of software engineering principles, operating systems, and low-level computing concepts."

Miller said employers increasingly value students who can demonstrate practical application of their classroom learning through internships, projects, and hands-on experiences.

"Having a complete personal project that I could discuss in detail during interviews was extremely valuable," Broadhurst said. "It allowed me to demonstrate technical skills and my ability to see a project through from start to finish."

Those experiences helped distinguish him during the hiring process and prepared him for the demands of mission-critical software development.

"What excites me most is the opportunity to learn how these mission-critical systems are designed and built," Broadhurst said. "Contributing to technology that supports sustained human presence in space and on the moon is challenging and rewarding."

A resource for life

The Career Center's support does not end at graduation. Alumni may schedule up to three career appointments after attaining alumni status and continue to access Jobs4Hawks, the university's career portal, where employer partners regularly post opportunities.

For Broadhurst, the value of the Career Center is clear.

"I would recommend the UHCL Career Center because it provides students with access to valuable opportunities and industry connections," he said. "In my case, an internship opportunity shared through the Career Center ultimately led to my full-time position after graduation."

As UHCL continues to expand programs in high-demand fields and strengthen relationships with employers across the region, the Center for Career Development remains a key link between classroom learning and career success, helping students envision their futures and take the steps necessary to achieve them.

Whether students are searching for their first internship, preparing for graduation, or planning their next professional move, the UHCL Center for Career Development provides the tools, guidance, and industry connections to help them succeed. Learn more about available services and upcoming opportunities at www.uhcl.edu/career-development/.