AE Undergrad Chosen for Trip Touring Silicon Valley

Aerospace Engineering at Illinois undergraduate Andrew Putch will explore opportunities in technology and entrepreneurship this January as part of a competition that has provided him a three-day tour of Silicon Valley.

Putch was one of 18 students selected nationwide for the Silicon Valley Bank Trek, designed to help build the students’ professional networks and inspire entrepreneurship.

During the trip January 6-8, the students will attend a series of events with their Trek Guides, a “who’s who” of influential investors and entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco tech community. The Trek Guides, including the Silicon Valley Bank team, will offer insight and advice on getting started in the technology industry, finding a business soul mate, perfecting their pitch, and bouncing back after failure. The students will have an opportunity to visit Stanford’s d.school, StartX, the offices of Andreessen Horowitz, BIRST and Mattermark, co-working facility WeWork Golden Gate, and Silicon Valley Bank’s offices on Sand Hill Road.

Putch’s interest was peaked last January, when he was among a group of 25 Illinois students attending the University of Illinois Technology Entrepreneurship Center’s (TEC) Silicon Valley Workshop. TEC selected Putch for the January 2015 trip.

“I discovered my passion of technology and entrepreneurship when I co-founded the Student Aircraft Builders (an AE at Illinois student organization) back in Fall 2012,” Putch said.

“This passion was solidified when I attended the TEC Silicon Valley Workshop,” he continued. “Seeing the amazing work, culture, and drive of Silicon Valley was truly inspiring. I hope to pursue a career in commercial applications of UAV's, either with Titan Aerospace, Amazon Prime Air, Internet.org, or by starting my own company.”