“In the skies over San Diego, the V-22 Osprey is a familiar sight. With its distinctive ability to fly as both a helicopter and airplane, the aircraft is mindblowing—especially to someone who grew up around military aviation and developed an early interest in aerospace engineering. It’s also what brought me to UC San Diego. Growing up in Florida, I saw NASA space shuttles launch from my backyard. My dad, a Navy crew chief, exposed me to aviation young. After high school, I enlisted as a V-22 Osprey crew chief in the Marine Corps Reserve. I knew I wanted a career in both the military and aerospace engineering, and I had deep respect for naval aviation—many astronauts were naval aviators—so it felt like part of my path. As a crew chief, I have to understand the components of the aircraft and how they integrate. In class, I notice how my V-22 experience connects. In Fluid Dynamics, for example, I realized that’s why the Osprey has wing fences—structures that help direct airflow to maxi...