FRANKLIN, Ind. - An Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) intern has been named Indiana’s College Work-Based Learner of the Year, a statewide honor from Work and Learn Indiana recognizing college students who make a clear impact during their internships.
Nyasha Julius Choga, a senior at Franklin College studying software engineering, earned the award for work during his 2025 internship with the IAA’s information technology and cybersecurity team. Choga spent the summer working alongside IAA staff building a new master database to track physical keys across the airport system, replacing an outdated process and improving efficiency by up to 90%.
His work stood out to judges because it addressed a real need and improved day‑to‑day operations for people across the organization.
“Julius jumped into a pretty complicated environment and helped to solve an operational challenge,” said Mario Rodriguez, IAA executive director. “He not only innovated a solution, but he also created an interface that made it simple for staff to use, and then the Franklin College intern trained staff for the transition from the old system to the new one.”
Rodriguez said when internships give students the chance to take on real-world projects, they grow with real experience – and they take that real experience into the community and create valuable solutions.
The IAA’s internship program has helped more than 100 interns succeed in the job market. Eleven of those former interns are now employed full-time with the IAA.
The IAA’s work-learn programs are founded on mentorship combined with fully hands-on work that develops experience and builds a strong resume — rather than mere observation. At the IAA, interns are paired with staff who guide them through projects that matter to employees and passengers, and they spend time with different airport divisions to understand how the operation fits together.
To learn more about internships and work-learn opportunities at the Indy airport, click here.
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