What is your next adventure?

Literally, less than a month after I graduate, I begin active duty at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where I will be working with research engineers with Air Force Research Labs (AFRL). I commission as a Second Lieutenant the day before graduation, and I won’t have to do any sort of basic training because I did it between my second and third years of college. My job in the Air Force is to be that bridge between the civilian engineers and the military, and my first assignment is with the multi-agent teaming division within the Munitions Directorate. So, I'll be a developmental engineer for the Air Force for the next four years. I didn't want to pursue a master’s degree right now because I just wanted to get some hands-on experience first.

What about your next adventure are you most looking forward to?

I think I'm looking forward to working behind the scenes in the defense world.  I’m also thrilled to be working on cutting-edge technology. And yeah, I'm also going to be living on the beach, so that's pretty nice.

Did you have any previous co-op, internship, or research experience in this area?

Instead of doing the internship I was offered, I did a study abroad in Ireland, through the AE Limerick program, and that was fun. Even though I didn't get a chance to do an internship, I did propulsion research with ASDL on campus. We did engine modifications and actually got to do some full-scale tests in the combustion lab.

How did your educational experience at Georgia Tech help you to achieve your goals?

First off, the rigor is going to translate into my being able to take on anything they throw at me, especially since I'm new to the service. Tech has done a really good job with being hard, but in a good way. To me, all this struggle means being able to do anything that they ask of me and not giving up in the face of a challenge. So, I got that from Georgia Tech.

Secondly, I collaborated with other people in my major and people in different fields, which was great exposure. I learned to work in a team. The Aero Maker Space was a big team too, with the best people in the major, for sure. Everyone wanted to help each other out. If people come into the space, we wanted to make sure they got what they needed for their project, and seeing it through to the end. There’s teamwork in a lot of labs and classes at Tech, just anywhere you look.

Also, ROTC really taught me a lot. It's a good leadership program, but it's also learning about current events and being aware of what's going on in the world.

What advice would you give to an underclassman who would like to follow the same path?

I'd say don't be afraid to put yourself out there. I feel like a lot of people don't really volunteer for things. They just sort of let life happen to them. Go out and, do life yourself and explore and find new things. Find your passion and then just stick to it. I definitely made all of my friends in Grand Challenges and ROTC in freshman year. I was on the rowing team for a little bit, but I think that was a good exposure too. Just join some other clubs and activities on campus.