Senior Spotlight: Felipe Valdez
Felipe Valdez is a mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate student at UC Davis. After graduation, he is starting his full-time position at NASA.
Felipe has a strong passion for space exploration and aviation technology, which is why he had his eyes set on working for NASA. Felipe started as a NASA intern and later as a NASA Pathways student trainee. At NASA, Felipe conducted flight research on flexible wing aircrafts and big scale aircrafts to analyze possible new technology for supersonic aircrafts. He is looking forward to continue working alongside top engineers on some of the most cutting-edge technology for aviation and space exploration.
Felipe describes his experience at UC Davis as focused and rewarding. Felipe took advantage of all the opportunities UC Davis provided to help him reach his goal of achieving a position at his dream job.
He came to the U.S. 12 years ago with no prior English knowledge and no clear path on what the future may hold for him. It was through persistence, dedication and the love and support he received from his friends and family that he was able to accomplish his goals. He encourages other engineering students to explore the different areas of engineering and to not be afraid to try something new.
“It really all comes down to how much you truly want things to happen and how much effort are you willing to give,” said Felipe.