Hello! My name is Jason Wu. I am a sophomore at Cal State LA majoring in mechanical engineering, working towards a career in the aerospace industry.
I caught the aviation bug at an early age. I remember in elementary school when I saw the space shuttle Endeavour making its way around California on its final flight to the California Science Center.
This is a picture of Endeavour being shuttled around on the back of a NASA 747 going past the Hollywood sign.
It wasn't until middle school that I saw the shuttle up close and personal. So close that I could touch it. I've been back a couple of times since then, and without fail, I feel like that little kid again, staring in awe at the engineering marvel that stood before me. Naturally, like everyone else, I wanted to go and be a fighter pilot. I mean, who wouldn't? Till I realized they require a college degree and good eyesight, none of which I possess. I don't think I will ever get to that, but on the bright side, this interest led me to a major I enjoyed. As challenging as it is, you can never beat that feeling when everything you've been studying for hours and everything finally clicks, and you're on top of the world again.
This is a picture I took of the only X-62 Vista, a modified F-16, used for flight testing at Edwards AFB.
After completing my degree, I want to do something that involves testing and evaluating new systems, particularly in the military. I remember going to an airshow at Edwards AFB. This base is unique because it's one of the only bases that conducts tests of new systems, mainly aircraft, under the Air Force's acquisition programs. I had no idea a place full of fantastic aviation history was practically in my backyard, that is if my backyard was 100 miles away. Everything ever flown by the Air Force flew there before it went into service. It would be an amazing opportunity to have a career there. The ability to work on new state-of-the-art technologies and with extremely brilliant people would be a great learning experience.
Projects:
- Designed, tested, & built an underwater-remotely operated vehicle (U-ROV) for an introductory engineering course during my first fall semester.
- Researched iterations of and designed the payload delivery mechanism for the CSU California Unmanned Aerial System Competition (C-UASC) as a member of the mechanical engineering team under the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Skills
- Advanced mathematics (Calculus & Statistics)
- Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Communication, teamwork, & leadership skills
- Computer-aided design work with SolidWorks & OnShape
Hobbies
- Visiting airshows & science centers
- Watching engineering videos (related to aviation)
- Trying to CAD random things around the house for practice
- Swimming in my free time