As an undergraduate vehicle structures engineer in the Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Lab I had the opportunity to develop my skills in the design, fabrication/manufacturing, technical report writing, and engineering analysis domains. After my senior year, I decided to continue at VADL to pursue my master’s degree with a research focus on structural health monitoring of composite structures in cooperation with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Additionally, I now serve as a graduate student mentor to the current NASA USLI team. The Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Laboratory has given me an opportunity above any other to cultivate my capabilities as an engineer, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to have worked alongside some of the most talent young engineers I know.