Q What’s the typical process for designing, building,
and testing rockets?
A Competitive model rocketry follows a production process that is exactly like what real NASA and
aerospace professionals employ, stipulating specific parameters for altitude and flight. Our teams
absorb this information and discuss viable designs. Once a few designs are settled upon, teams “build”
them in the simulator, analyze which designs work best in simulated flights, then build them.
Once built, we take our rockets to the field for actual flight testing. We gather boatloads of data,
compare field results to the simulations, make corrections in structural design if necessary, and follow
an endless cycle of revision and testing until we are satisfied. A typical competition rocket will have
undergone anywhere from three to five revisions before it is adopted by a team as their final design.
Q What advice would you give to
teachers who are specifically
looking to get more girls engaged
in STEM fields?
A Fortunately, we are seeing more girls going into these
fields. We need to provide opportunities for them to
explore. Extracurricular clubs give kids a good chance
to get into a STEM subject, but the classroom is fertile
ground to pique these interests. Teachers can start by
presenting STEM topics they find personally fascinating,
and from there, the connections can be made for further
exploration.
Q
How has faith impacted the way you teach?
A My faith in God gives me great faith in the human spirit. I believe that we are endowed with
tremendous gifts, and there isn’t anything we as a species are incapable of achieving. I want my
students to come away from my classroom with an unshakeable belief that they can contribute to the
human story in their own precious ways.
Q As someone who has worked with AOPS for 25 years, what has
made that experience so rewarding?
A I work with the best people in the world — my students and colleagues. I have tremendous respect
for my fellow teachers who dedicate their lives to helping others, and teaching gives me something
priceless: a fantastic opportunity to help my students discover what they can bring to the world.
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