By: Ana Cerna Martinez

Joshua Madrigal had two main sources of inspiration on the road to making his ambitions a reality. One was the college journey of his brother and fellow Bronco, Jonathan Madrigal (‘11, management and human resources). The second source was Madrigal’s deep interest in aerospace and defense.

Madrigal (‘16, management and human resources) got an internship in his junior year at Northrop Grumman, an American multinational aerospace and defense company. The internship provided him with hands-on experience in proposal development, contract management, and cross-functional collaboration. During his time there, he supported the James Webb Space Telescope program.

Although his journey was a great success, there were many obstacles Madrigal had to overcome. Balancing 21 units per quarter and work, he had to learn to manage his time effectively, leaving home by 6 a.m. and returning from school as late as 9 p.m.

“I knew it would be a very time-consuming and demanding year-long sprint. However, that year-long sprint would pay dividends for the rest of my career,” Madrigal said. “It required me to make some adjustments and tweaks in both my personal and professional life, and I was able to implement those adjustments successfully.”

His day started at the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC), where he worked out before starting his classwork. Shortly after, Madrigal attended his class sessions for the day before preparing for his drive to Redondo Beach, where his internship was located. He also served as the co-president of the Society of Law, Contracts and Property (SLCP) from 2013 to 2014.

Madrigal’s time management skills proved effective, as he was offered a full-time position at Northrop Grumman after graduating. Madrigal also attributes his success to his early exposure to contract management through Finance, Real Estate, and Law Professor John B. Wyatt.

“Being very research-oriented and being able to think critically on the fly were important skills I gained. I would say a lot of that success or a lot of that training or knowledge really came from Professor John B. Wyatt's courses in contract management,” said Madrigal. “Particularly the case studies where we would assess and present on different parts of contract law. Many of those case studies were relevant to rising workplace situations. There was a lot of transferable knowledge from the overall course that I was learning at Cal Poly Pomona to my internship at Northrop Grumman.”

After four and a half years at Northrop Grumman, Madrigal embarked on a new journey at Millennium Space Systems in early 2018. Madrigal was the first contract person there, and during his first year, he built a contracts department from scratch. He also created a legacy as the youngest executive in Millennium Space Systems' history, holding the position of Vice President of Contracts and Global Supply Chain.

“I always stayed true to the basic ingredients of success: working hard, demonstrating a strong aptitude for learning, both on the business and technical front, and staying curious,” Madrigal said. “In addition to that, I would say I built a strong advocacy channel, so leadership was always looking out for me and making sure that they recognized their high-potential performers. The early success I had with building out the team, both from a personnel standpoint and from an infrastructure standpoint, helped me gain that credibility quickly.”

As Madrigal looks back on his college journey, he emphasizes the importance of internship experience, time management, hands-on learning, and effective communication. He lauds CPP’s incorporation of hands-on learning through micro-internships as a way to provide more opportunities for students to get career experience.

“From my perspective, CPP’s new micro-internships offer students an ideal way to gain practical experience, explore career paths, and build networks without the long-term commitment of traditional internships. These short-term, flexible projects allow students to balance professional growth with academic schedules, giving them the chance to apply their skills, receive valuable feedback, and make industry connections,” Madrigal said.

“To maximize each micro-internship, I recommend for students to set specific goals, actively engage, and take every opportunity to connect with professionals involved, all of which help build a strong resume and open doors for future opportunities post-graduation.”

Alumni can play a key role by offering short-term projects, sharing insights, and mentoring students, helping bridge the gap between education and the workforce.

To learn how you can support CPP students through micro-internships, visit the Innovation Incubator website, contact them at innovationinc@cpp.edu, or explore hosting opportunities by creating a free account on Parker Dewey.