Hypersonics Engineers

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) offers many resources for K–12 students at https://www.aiaa.org/get-involved/k-12-students, including a career booklet, information on educational paths, and profiles of aerospace professionals.

Check out Discover Engineering (https://discovere.org/engineering-careers). It offers general information about careers in engineering, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about the field.

Join the Technology Student Association, which provides students a chance to explore career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, enter academic competitions, and participate in summer exploration programs. Visit http://www.tsaweb.org for more information.

Participate in summer exploration camps in engineering, mathematics, physics, aerospace, and other fields that are offered by colleges and universities, professional organizations, and other providers. For example, the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) offers a nine-day summer aerospace program at multiple colleges and universities. Participants learn the ins and outs of designing and building aircraft and spacecraft; go on field trips to NASA and Lockheed Martin; build their own unmanned aerial vehicle and rocket; compete in engineering challenges; and talk with aerospace workers about their careers. The NSLC also offers engineering and engineering intensive programs for high school students and an engineering program for middle-school students. Here are some other camps to check out:

• NASA’s ASTRO CAMPS (various locations): http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/education/students/astrocamp.html
• Michigan Technological University Engineering Scholars Program, Women in Engineering Program, and Summer Youth Program: http://www.mtu.edu/syp
• Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars Program: https://vsgc.odu.edu/vasts
• University of Arizona Summer Engineering Academy: https://www.engr.arizona.edu/k12/k12_SEA

Participate in engineering and science competitions to test your knowledge, meet people who share your interests, and have some fun. This activity will also look good on college applications. One interesting competition is the annual American Rocketry Challenge (https://rocketcontest.org), during which approximately 1,000middle and high school students compete to design, build, and launch model rockets. The team that wins the National Finals goes on to compete in the International Rocketry Challenge (https://rocketcontest.org/international-rocketry-challenge).

Join a professional association as a student member. Many associations offer membership for college students, but some also offer membership for high school students. One example is the Society of Women Engineers. Young women who are between the ages of 13 and 18 can join the organization as SWENexters. Members receive a monthly newsletter that offers career advice and scholarship tips and get the chance to attend the society’s High School Leadership Academy and other events. Visit https://swe.org/outreach/swenext-clubs for more information. The AIAA also offers membership to high school students.

Other ways to explore the field include joining school engineering and science clubs, reading books and watching videos about aerospace and engineering, and participating in information interviews and job shadowing experiences with engineers (especially those who specialize in hypersonics engineering).