Omar Shaheed III Becomes South Carolina State’s First Mechatronics Engineering Graduate — Heads to Boeing

Omar Shaheed III ventured into a field he initially did not know and has become a trailblazer after achieving an institutional milestone: he is South Carolina State University's first graduate in mechatronics engineering.

The 23-year-old, a 2020 graduate of Berkeley High School, was invited by Dr. Hasanul Basher — professor and chair of SC State’s Department of Engineering Technology — to apply to the university’s newly formed mechatronics program. The program was still being developed when Shaheed joined, becoming its inaugural student when the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation launched the degree in 2023.

The mechatronics curriculum trains students in electronics, control systems, robotics, communications, computer technology and power systems. The program prepares graduates for roles at major employers such as Boeing, BMW, Eli Lilly, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.

Through the program, Shaheed learned to design, test and manufacture intelligent systems across robotics, assistive technology, human-machine interfaces, manufacturing and unmanned systems. While at SC State, he completed four internships that broadened his practical experience.

Internship Experience

Shaheed’s first internship, during his sophomore year, was with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, where he contributed to designing an HVAC system layout. He subsequently completed three internships with Boeing that covered a range of engineering disciplines:

• Lean Six Sigma Process Improvements — Charleston, S.C.: Focused on streamlining processes and improving quality;
• Manufacturing Engineering — Oklahoma City: Worked on complex aircraft projects, including tasks related to Air Force One;
• Product Engineering — Charleston, S.C.: Worked on production and customer-facing adjustments for the Boeing 787.

“There [in Charleston] I clean up a lot of processes, but then I actually got to talk to the customers and get the different adjustments. Each 787 is a different plane… So I got to learn a lot about that,” Shaheed said in a university news release. “All my internships have been in different areas because mechatronics is so versatile. So I’ve learned a lot.”

Career Move

Shaheed earned his degree on Dec. 11, becoming the first student to graduate from SC State’s mechatronics engineering program — a milestone for both him and Dr. Basher. He has secured a full-time, rotating engineering role with Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston beginning in early 2026. In that position he will work on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, rotating through different engineering assignments every six months.

This achievement highlights the value of new engineering programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and demonstrates how hands-on internships can lead to career-launching opportunities with major aerospace and technology employers.