Why did you choose to study at Illinois?

The University of Illinois has an incredible aerospace engineering program, combined with all of the registered student organizations here made it a really amazing program that I wanted to join. It’s one of the biggest schools in the US, meaning the opportunities here are quite endless. I knew that regardless of where my interests would fall, there would be a community for me here.

Why aerospace engineering?

I’d always been fascinated by rockets and space exploration, which naturally drew me to aerospace engineering for undergrad. Aerospace engineering provided me the chance to dive deep into challenging technical problems, build expertise in rocket propulsion and structural design, and engage directly with cutting edge space technology. This decision has opened doors to incredible experiences, which I wouldn’t have gotten without it.

What courses/professors helped you most academically?

AE323 and AE498SS with Professor Ning had a major impact on me. Learning advanced structural engineering concepts and seeing how they directly apply to launch vehicles and spacecraft really sparked my interest. Those courses not only deepened my technical understanding but also gave me the confidence that I could be a capable engineer.

 What projects helped you gain technical expertise?

Within Illinois Space Society, I worked on the hybrid propulsion team, which I was the project lead for my junior year. I was able to learn about the basics of propulsion and rocket engine structures as an underclassmen, topics which I wouldn’t formally learn about until senior year. It helped me apply my theoretical knowledge and  figure out what discipline of  aerospace engineering I wanted to pursue.

What are you particularly proud of?

I was afforded the opportunity to be the hybrid propulsion lead for ISS, and It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. I was able to take a project from its infancy to completion over the course of 3 to 4 years, meeting some of the most talented student engineers along the way, as well as learning so much the application part of rocket propulsion. I think finally seeing the engine work at the end was an incredibly proud moment for me, and something I’ll always look back on.

Did you have any internships?

In the summer after my sophomore year, I worked at Astra Space – a launch vehicle startup out in San Francisco.  I was a structures intern and mainly helped design the propellant slosh mitigation systems for the first stage of their rocket.

Last summer I worked as a propulsion design engineering intern at Relativity Space, where I helped design mechanisms for the Aeon R engine on Relativity’s Terran R rocket!

Describe a specific challenge you faced and how you resolved it.

The transition from high school to college was a big adjustment, especially when it came to study habits. In high school, I rarely needed to study, but that approach didn’t work in college, and I struggled academically during my freshman year.

It took a few semesters to find a system that worked for me, but eventually I figured out that writing everything out, whether it was schedules, concepts, or even problem steps helped me organize my thoughts and better retain the material. That shift in approach made a big difference in both my performance and confidence.

 How did the pandemic affect you?

I think my year was lucky in that we escaped the worst of COVID before we entered college. However, first semester freshman year was affected in the sense that a lot of classes were online, and we had to wear masks. It was a disruption, but I think after nearly a year and a half of lockdown prior to that everyone was just used to it and happy we could at least have a semi-normal freshman year.

What extracurricular experience stands out as memorable for you?

One of my most memorable extracurricular experiences was during my freshman year, when I learned to play Euchre with friends in the dorms at Nugent. What started as a fun way to pass the time turned into something much more, we enjoyed the game so much that we founded the Euchre League. We held weekly meetings to play, and even traveled to tournaments at DePaul on occasion. It was mostly casual, but through the club I met people from all over campus, not just from Grainger, and it became a great way to build community and friendships.

How did you decide what to do after you graduate?

I knew I wanted to get a master's degree, and with its simple entry program Illinois was an obvious choice. That made it easy to decide that I was coming back here.

But, this summer I’ll be working at Blue Origin as a test engineering intern!

 Do you have any other career goals?

I’ve always been passionate about working on launch vehicles and contributing to the systems that will one day take humans to Mars. My long-term goal is to have a tangible impact in that area, and if I can make meaningful progress toward it over the next few decades, I’d consider that a success.

What's on your bucket list for the next five years?

I’ve always wanted to get back into playing sports, specifically soccer. It’s something I haven’t been able to do as much these past few years.

I also really want to relearn how to play the cello. I used to play all throughout elementary and middle school and I’d love to take it up again.