Captain Kirks of the Future? By Lance Thies
Can you believe it? A private shuttle took Captain Kirk to space for real! So what is next for aerospace and who’s going to lead the way? Two students from Lockport Township High School (LTHS) in Lockport, Illinois believe that they are going to be part of the adventure. One, Ahmad Kawash, has been challenging himself academically throughout his high school career with difficult classes and the willingness to explore his own boundaries to find a passion. The other, Jack Thies, has thought about what he could do to be a part of the aerospace industry since his dad first painted clouds and stars on his bedroom ceiling. Enter two teachers from the high school, Jeff Brown and Corey Duzan, and their engineering classes to provide the clarity that Ahmad needed to find his passion and the drive Jack needed to refine his skill.
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What both students love about their coursework in their engineering classes is the challenge that Mr. Brown and Mr. Duzan lay out in each assignment. Digital modeling, making the famous balsa wood models, collaborating in teams and exploring the range of questions and
answers to problems have invigorated both Ahmad and Jack. The connection between Ahmad’s physics and calculus and his engineering problems has opened his eyes to the fact that, even though the classes are tough and they push his abilities to the limit, he loves it because he sees how his knowledge in one class ties directly into the model he creates in engineering. Jack thrives in team projects and the wide range of solutions that each student brings to a problem which has led him to engage in the high school’s robotics team, exposing him to high pressure competitions and the ultimate tests of teamwork. That teamwork gives him an opportunity to see different viewpoints, learn about collaboration and be a good team-focused leader. Engineering, to both young men, has become a transport to make a career from what they love doing. Ahmad wants to work on the technology involved in moving people through space and wants to be part of the next generation of aerospace engineers who find a way to get an astronaut onto a new planet. Lofty goals from a high school senior, but if the drive Ahmad has shown so far keeps his path clear, we could see that footprint on Mars in real life and not just in the movies! Jack sees his path in project management, finding the best, most efficient and cost effective way to make travel to space a regular occurrence, almost like taking