William Su

It was American poet Robert Frost, who once quipped that "the best way out is always through." While Robert Frost hails from an era long past, his quote has continued to motivate and impassion me to relentlessly pursue the most daunting challenges and surmount the highest peaks. Thus, in the true spirit of Robert Frost's words, I decided to tackle aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. To me, aerospace engineering represents nothing less than the pinnacle of human academic achievement, scientific study, and curiosity to explore the unknown. Throughout my time at the University of Texas at Austin, I have found myself uniquely positioned to pursue these pillars of aerospace engineering in a hands-on, collaborative setting with some of the brightest minds I have ever met. While the academic rigors of the curriculum and the targets for my projects may seem formidable, I remain determined to face these challenges head-on and engineer a better world for all.

Such challenges are lessened through the knowledge gleaned and my work experience in organizations such as UT's Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Longhorn Rocketry Association. As the chief engineer for the 2025-2026 Aircraft Design Competition for UT's Chapter of AIAA, I honed skills associated with team management, project coordination, and presentation through performance design reviews. Additionally, I managed cross branch communication for a design bureau of engineers to effectively and efficiently develop an aircraft which met the US Navy's requirements for a next-generation carrier-based strike aircraft. In terms of technical requirements, I also served as the simulations engineer and both taught and performed Finite Element Analysis simulations for the design proposals using programs such as Ansys to test for deformation, and von Mises stress while also planning out and making key decisions associated the the electronics suite and overall layout of the airframe. Through the Longhorn Rocketry Association as an aerodynamics and design engineer, I also pushed myself to master and earn a certification in CAD modeling in Fusion 360 while also improving my proficiency in Finite Element Analysis in Ansys by being involved in the design and implementation of a dynamic airbrake for a supersonic rocket, which competed in the International Rocketry Competition. Such tasks encouraged me to develop skills from digital design, to 3D printing, to rapid iterative prototyping and improving to create an effective and reliable system which was able to control and decrease the altitude of the rocket to hit precise apogees. Overall, while I have honed a host of technical and interpersonal skills to excel as an aerospace engineer, it is truly my passion to push nature's boundaries, and to find "the best way out" of even the most formidable obstacles which has always been the fire that kindled my resolve and lit the path ahead.