August 5, 2025
As the 2025 Ignite Internship program draws to a close this week, we at CMI2 are taking a moment to honor the incredible achievements of our interns stationed at the Adaptive Experimentation Facility (AEF) in Clay County, West Virginia. Their dedication, creativity, and resilience continue to exemplify the mission of CMI2’s ILLUME program—bridging the gap between today’s talent and tomorrow’s national security challenges.
Continuing from yesterday’s blog, we’re shining a light on one of our standout Makerspace interns: Jaxon Brown.
A Familiar Face with a Fresh Perspective
Jaxon Brown is no newcomer to the Ignite program or CMI2. As a returning intern from the 2024 class and having worked with CMI2 on projects for the Clay Technology Student Association (TSA), Jaxon has witnessed and played a role in the AEF’s transformation almost since its inception in Clay County.
An important part of the crew that helped stand up the Fort Andrew makerspace last summer, Jaxon’s capabilities have grown.
“Now that it’s all settled in, there’s more equipment out there, better printers,” Jaxon shared. “They have figured out how to use it more efficiently. Last year, it was like teaching yourself, and now we had Josh [Walker] teaching us, which was a lot better and I understood it more.”
Further, Jaxon notes that he has not only honed his technical skills but also found clarity in his career direction.
A Passion for Engineering
For Jaxon, his summers spent with CMI2 have been about more than just 3D printers and design tools (although he liked that part, too!): It has helped define his future.
“I want to go into an engineering program, and I know that they use a lot of like AutoCAD and 3D modeling, so being able to have [like] a basis on that for past two years is very nice and also [important in] learning to see what I want to do in life,” he explained. “Whenever they were wiring this place (Fort Andrew Operations Center) I was so intrigued in that now, I want to be [an] electrical engineer.”
This kind of inspiration is exactly what CMI2 strives to foster in Clay County and beyond: real-world exposure to meaningful projects that spark long-term goals.
From the Makerspace to the National Stage
Jaxon’s STEM experiences didn’t just stay confined to Fort Andrew. His makerspace experiences also played a crucial role in a nationally recognized project through his involvement in the Clay TSA.
In 2024, Jaxon Brown was a top twenty-four semifinalist in Data Science and Analytics and earned the Gold Achievement Award at the national TSA Conference in Orlando, FL. To earn the award, he participated in specified activities related to service leadership, STEM immersion, and personal and professional development.
Jaxon’s momentum continued to the 2025 national conference when he, alongside fellow CMI2 Ignite interns Morgan Payton and Alivia Gilliland, helped lead a project in Geospatial Technology that earned them a spot in the top 24 nationwide.
“It’s benefited me personally, because I did a mapping – I was able to come in here in the winter and sit down with Travis Farrell and Eric [Thomas] to find ways to create my map for if the Sutton Dam would fail, how much would flood,” Jaxon said. “I found they had resources to give me that I could use on my project, and from that we placed as top 24 in the nation.”
Jaxon also placed in the Top 12 for Music Production at the 2025 conference.
A Living Example of ILLUME’s Mission
Jaxon’s journey shows the impact CMI2 internships and the ILLUME program can have. Through mentorship, real-world challenges, and access to tools like CAD modeling and geospatial tech, ILLUME helps students like Jaxon explore what excites them and figure out where they want to go next. What started as an internship turned into a clear path toward engineering, and that’s exactly the kind of spark CMI2 aims to ignite.
As the 2025 Ignite Internship wraps up, we’re proud to celebrate Jaxon. Not just for what he’s done, but for the future he’s building.
Stay tuned for more stories as we showcase how CMI2 is helping shape the next generation of makers, doers, and problem solvers.
