And that's about it for the fall semester (other than this darth vader finals week video that I dropped).
Spring 2024
This was the semester where I decided to start our design teams back up (they were one of our main casualties from the pandemic). After a fair bit of research, I decided on NASA MITTIC (MUREP Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition) as our competition of choice, and started putting together an application process.
Taking inspiration from the book I was reading at the time (Hidden Potential by Adam Grant), I decided to incorporate work samples into our interviews. Since MITTIC was all about finding a commercial application for a NASA patent and pitching it, that took the form of a pitch interview option.
The idea was that, instead of standard interview questions, applicants could choose to pitch an idea. If their pitch was good, then they would be on a team, and if the team liked the idea, then that's what the team would go with.
After a fruitful marketing campaign and a busy week of interviews, we ultimately ended up selecting 6 teams of 6. Over the next month or so, I spent a lot of time getting teams up to speed, holding team lead meetings, and generally helping teams out as they prepared their proposals and pitch videos for Phase 1 of MITTIC.
Despite a hectic last few days, all 6 teams were able to submit their deliverables on time. Two weeks later, Phase 2 selections were released. Amazingly, 2 of our teams moved on — that's 2, out of 11 finalists nationwide.
These 2 teams, AWTRS and SADI Control Systems, both got the opportunity to go on a 3-day trip to Johnson Space Center to pitch their ideas live to a panel of top-tier judges. So of course, in the weeks prior, I did everything I possibly could to help them prepare.
I put on a practice pitch event, got the teams some stellar coaching from Chris Westfall, and had a lot of fun filming intro videos for them. When the day of the competition finally arrived, I have to admit I was a bit nervous, watching that livestream. But of course, both teams crushed it.
When all was said and done, SADI Control Systems came away with the win — along with the $20k prize and a trip to Silicon Valley. Needless to say, I was absolutely ecstatic. We had done it. We had summited the top on our very first try. My wildest dreams had literally come true.
Vice President
Heading into junior year, I am now VP for SEDS, and although we have come a long way, there is still much to be done to keep growing this org. In other words, there's a lot to look forward to and to be excited about as we write the next chapter in our story.
Backstory
I first joined TAMU SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) at the beginning of my freshman year. Every month, I would go to the general meetings, and there would always be a fascinating speaker — an exoplanet researcher, or a former astronaut, or the first woman in mission control. However, that year SEDS was still recovering from the pandemic, so attendance was relatively low and there weren't a lot of other events.
Near the end of the year, I had to write a recommendation report for my technical writing class, and the topic that I ended up choosing was how to increase attendance at SEDS events. Seeing as I'd written an entire report on it, I figured I might as well apply to become an officer. So I did.
Outreach Director
Fall 2023
As it happened, I was selected to be the new Outreach Director for my sophomore year. I didn't know it then, but throughout the course of that year, SEDS would grow to become one of my greatest passions as a college student.
The first major event that I organized was our inaugural Space Networking Fair — a place for students to connect with space-related research labs and student orgs. It also happened to coincide with the partial solar eclipse on October 14, so we worked with the libraries to hold a watch party after the fair. All in all, it was quite successful — with a turnout of over 100 attendees.
A few weeks later, I went to DC for my very first SpaceVision (the national SEDS conference) along with a band of other members. Suffice to say, it was an absolutely incredible experience!
Just a few weeks after that, I helped put on our first Baby Rocket Competition. There was plenty to worry about, from following safety guidelines, to notifying the nearby airport, to tracking rocket altitudes. But thankfully, everything went off without a hitch (except for my brand new launch controller refusing to work, but that was just a minor delay).
The funny thing is, I personally haven't reaped much reward from this success. Yet, in a way, I find it all the more fulfilling because of that — because I know that my efforts were not for some selfish purpose. Rather, they were for the benefit of others, for fellow students whom I am now to lucky consider friends.
But that's not all that happened in Spring 2024. I also put together a group to volunteer at The Big Event, organized our 2nd Space Networking Fair, and went up to Waco for the total solar eclipse — just to name a few.
Overall, I think I will remember my time as Outreach Director quite fondly. It was not without its mistakes made and lessons learned, but it was also a year of unbelievable successes, awesome experiences, and unforgettable memories.
Intro videos for SADI Control Systems and AWTRS
Winning pitch by SADI Control Systems