Why did you choose to study at Illinois?

Because I live close by to campus, naturally, the U of I was one of my top options. It also helps that my dad was an alum from the university and he has talked about the great engineering program here. I have also known that I wanted to do engineering since high school and with many of my friends also attend the U of I, it was a luxury having home close by and high school friends being on campus.

Why aerospace engineering?

I chose aerospace because I had a strong sense of purpose there. I knew that I wanted to study engineering such that I can contribute to technologies that will benefit humanity for years to come. With aerospace being such a dynamic and constantly evolving field, there are endless opportunities to apply myself and contribute to such a great field.

Shout out to someone who helped you most?

Honestly there are so many I would love to shout out, but people would be reading a whole bibliography rather than a short interview. If I had to choose one person to shout out, it would be Thien Le, my research mentor.

He is the grad student that took me in on my first composites research project, and the amount of support he has provided cannot be expressed in words. He’s helped me through projects, courses, and even job interviews and I would not be where I am currently without his help!

I also wanted to shout out Laura Gerhold and Audrey Cochran who helped with the all the chaos with course registration and guidance during my first few years.

A special thank you to Professor Baur and Kevin Hastings for being a wonderful professor and mentor throughout my time at Illinois and Parkland!

What helped you gain technical expertise?

I gained a lot of technical experience through my student organizations and my research. I didn’t get much research until the beginning of my junior year, so I got my expertise mainly through Illinois Space Society and Liquid Rocketry at Illinois. Getting the opportunity to work hands-on with these projects was an absolute blast but also aided me greatly in academics and my professional life.

How did choose a specialty?

I have always been an experimentalist at heart, so when I received an opportunity to work on a project with composites manufacturing through the Illinois Space Grant Consortium, I could not pass it up. Ever since I transferred to Illinois from Parkland, I have been hounding for research opportunities so I can get an idea of what I like for research. I went through three different research labs before I landed in Professor Baur’s group with composites and it’s been history ever since!

I had the opportunity to work on a project with additive manufacturing of composites, and I really do love it. There is something with getting into the deep end with working on hardware and seeing your work come to fruition, it is a feeling that is truly difficult to describe.

With that, I took a lot of composites related courses such as AE428 and AE526. AE526 is one of the most fun courses I have taken, where I had opportunity to fabricate a composite bridge for a design competition!

Where did you find community at Illinois?

I found most of my community through courses and student organizations. Being a part-time student during my first two years at Illinois, I was not on campus for extended periods of time, so I found peers through the one or two courses I had on campus. After I got to know some of the people in my major, they introduced me to the RSO’s they were in and that’s how I found ISS and LRI! Being able to surround myself with people that share the same passion and interest with me really helped me connect with the close friends I have today on campus.

Did you have go on any study abroad trips?

I did participate a study abroad program and it was the AE398 Brazil study abroad program! Just describing the experience with words does not bring it justice but it was the most fun experience I have had in my four years at Illinois. I visited São Paulo, Ubatuba, and Rio de Janeiro during the 10-day trip and it was jammed packed with unforgettable experiences.

We went to the beaches, had great food, went to night clubs and met up with our Brazilian classmates! The beaches were absolutely stunning, and the nightlife in Brazil is unmatched. Some of Brazilians students actually came to Illinois shortly afterwards for their own study abroad program!

What extracurricular groups did you participate in?

I was a part of the Solid Propulsion manufacturing team in ISS. I have been a part of them since my sophomore year, and we have made some amazing achievements and advancements over the years. I have been on this team since its very humble beginnings with almost primitive equipment, to a flushed out professional team of student engineers.

My most memorable moment was when we had our first successful solid motor hotfire, I could not be prouder seeing a plume of fire and smoke coming out of the metal casing. Having witnessed our first successful hotfire trailblazed our following years of successes and I cannot begin to imagine what the future holds for the team!

What's something you're particularly proud of?

One project I am very proud of was my L1 High Powered Rocketry certification. I wanted to make my own rocket at some point during my undergrad years at Illinois, and ISS offers a program that provides guidance and materials to make your own L1 and get a certification! I designed the rocket from scratch, built and assembled the body, fins, everything and seeing on the launch pad and successfully launching made me feel like a proud dad.

What's next for you?

After graduation, I will be continuing my studies with a master’s in aerospace here at Illinois! I love the people and campus here so much it was hard to convince myself to go anywhere else (the Simple Entry Program is also top notch). I will be continuing my work on composites manufacturing and planning on applying for a Ph.D. program!

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

• Visit the village I was raised in back in Korea
• Go to a Defqon 1 concert
• Miraculously acquire the funds to make my own hobbyist machine shop
• Visit my friends all across the country
• Continue to be a family member, friend, or mentor to all the people I know