2020-21 President's Scholars

Jonathan Nguyen

Oscar Perlaza President’s Scholar

Major: Aerospace Engineering

College of Engineering

University Programs: Liquid Rocket Lab, Engineering Student Ambassdor Program, Maximizing Engineering Potential Program new student mentor, aerospace structural mechanics course supplemental instruction student facilitator 

For Jonathan Nguyen, his aerospace engineering senior project has been one of his favorite educational experiences. “I never thought that I would have an opportunity to lead such an awesome project. There is something so rewarding about designing, building, and testing a thing that had only been an idea. Seeing this concept mature is like nothing else and I can't wait to see how far it will go,” he says. His passion for rocketry was inspired by his father, who worked on the Space Shuttle and supported launches at Cape Canaveral. Jonathan has been involved with rocket competitions since his freshman year, now serving as a systems engineer for the College of Engineering’s Liquid Rocket Lab where he has worked on the university’s first fuctional liquid rocket for competion in the FAR-MARS competition. Off campus, he had internships with Northrop Grumman in 2019 and 2020. Watching the Space X Falcon Heavy launches continously re-energizes his efforts as he aims to be a propulsion engineer and pursue advanced degrees to teach at a university.