Why did you choose Illinois and why aerospace engineering?

Illinois has a great engineering program. Originally, I had dreams of being a pilot but quickly realized that I did not have funds for that. But my curiosity and interest in space and planes led me to believe AE was the answer.

What projects helped you gain technical expertise? 

Multi-material additive manufacturing research under MechE Professor Jasiuk. I didn’t continue with the research for more than a year, but it helped give me more technical experience. The work with 3D printing machines and related machines required me to analyze these 3D printed materials.

Who helped you choose your specialty?

An upperclassmen that I was in the same cultural fraternity with helped me realize that the aerospace industry has a lot of room for growth.

 What's something you're proud of?

Pushing through a notoriously difficult course load.

Did you have any internships?

Yes, I was a quality specialist intern at Boeing in Everett, Washington. I mainly helped create a solution to waste created and potential money that can be saved in Radio Frequency Identification tags  used to tag airplane parts.

What extracurricular experience is memorable for you? 

Joining my cultural fraternity connected me to an older brother who was also in aerospace engineering. He currently works at Northrop Grumman in Southern California as a systems Engineer.

 You ended high school at the beginning of the pandemic and began college while many restrictions were still in place. How did you cope?

It was a very interesting time period; however, I don’t think I would have been able to meet the lifelong friends that I did if it wasn’t for the pandemic. I’m a naturally introverted person; however, because the pandemic created for even fewer opportunities to meet people naturally, it forced me to go out and meet new people. I’m glad that I made that leap.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be working as a quality engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Everett, Washington. The Internship at Boeing during the summer of 2023 really helped me decide that I loved Washington state.

What’s on your bucket list of must-dos for the next 5 years?

After working for two to three years as a quality engineer, I would like to make a jump to be a systems engineer for Boeing -- hopefully still on the West Coast.