Charles graduated from the University of Maryland in 2016 with his Bachelors in aerospace engineering. He began his career with NAVAIR’s Propulsion and Power division as a turbofan/turbojet basic design engineer where he supported the AV-8B Harrier’s mighty F402 engine and managed a portfolio of Science and Technology (S&T) projects. In 2021, Charles left NAVAIR to study for his Master’s fulltime at Purdue University. In December 2023, Charles earned his Masters of Business Administration, and in July 2024, he earned his Masters of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics. His thesis focused on optimizing the topology of an emergency response drone network. Charles is now a Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contractor at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Code 35 where he works on enhancing continuous wave high energy laser weapon effectiveness and counter measures.