Q&A with Jack

What is your major and concentration?
I am an MDE student in General Engineering

Where do you call home?
I come from Downers Grove, Illinois

What led you to choose MDE/IDES?
I chose MDE because it was a way for me to explore exactly the facets of engineering that I saw as most important and interesting, as well as giving me a chance to branch out to my other interests.

What were you involved in while at Purdue?
While at Purdue, I was heavily involved in Purdue Space Program for all 4 years. While on PSP, I organized and led a podcast where we talked with space industry professionals about issues relevant to us students. Additionally, I worked on PSP's liquid rocket team as a fluid systems lead and launched our rocket twice this year.

What is your favorite memory from your time at Purdue?
My favorite memory at Purdue had to have been the first launch of our liquid rocket, BZB. Nothing compares to the feeling of seeing something you've spent years working on fly up into the sky. 

What are your next steps after commencement?
I will start this summer as a manufacturing engineer for Agile Space Industries in Durango, CO, working on rocket engines for spacecraft propulsion. I interned there two years prior so I'm excited to return and continue my journey. (Pic below of my first internship there)

Do you have any advice for the current/future students of MDE/IDES?
My advice to MDE students would be to embrace the things that make you unique and to gain confidence to forge your own path. That independence can be scary at first, but it is what sets you apart.