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Jarrod Puseman is graduating from Smead Aerospace with his bachelor's as one of three 2020 students in the department having earned an Outstanding Undergraduate for Academic Achievement Award after completing his degree with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

He plans to continue with CU Boulder in the Fall in the BAM program to complete his master's degree. Here, he reflects on his time as a student and looks to future.

Q: What led you to study engineering?

My interest began around 6^th grade, when I saw a paper airplane fly really far at a student assembly. I decided to make my own and “engineer” it to fly as far as possible. As I grew into my high school years, I maintained my interest in paper airplanes, much to the dismay of my teachers.

I was also influenced by my father (a mechanical engineer) and many of my friends’ parents who were also engineers. The problems they solved and the things they did always sounded interesting to me.

Q: What does the award you are receiving mean to you?

I am very honored; I think this award documents the patience and perseverance we as college students and young adults must all develop, and I’m so appreciative to see that my personal labors were not in vain. Of course, I could not have done it alone. I walked the curriculum with all of my classmates, with whom I’ve had many group projects and assignments

Q: What are you involved in when you’re not in class or studying?

I have worked as a course assistant and I have spent the past three years working in the having worked on CHESS, SISTENE, DEUCE, and CUTE.

I’m also involved with University Lutheran Chapel, where I serve as the President of the Council. I have really grown in my leadership abilities, and I am reminded often that leaders are there to serve, not to be served.

I helped organize a $1.2 million capital campaign to bring the building up to code, and I am finding that even though I am overwhelmed at times, I can rely on many people around me for help, and I can tell that many in the congregation look to me for guidance. Earning their trust has been gratifying. Ultimately, this experience has taught me that frankly a lot people are doing things they have never done before, and a little courage and a smile can go a long way.

I'm also on the the Boulder Basilisks, the official CU Quidditch team. This past year I served as team captain, which meant I was in charge of acquiring funds, organizing practice, and handling team logistics at tournaments, which are all very worth the somewhat exotic form of exercise and team commitment that the activity gives.

In the Engineering Honors Program (EHP), I have served as an application grader, peer mentor, and I have been the tour program coordinator for the last two years. The EHP gave me a place to belong right from the start of college, and it made CU feel a little smaller.

Q: If you could relive any moment from your college career, what would it be?

If I had to choose one, I would probably go back to launch day for my freshman projects class, Gateway to Space. We spent a semester designing, building, and testing a high-altitude balloon satellite, and got to launch it to 30 km. The day was filled with excitement from the very beginning at the 4:00 am wake-up call to the end. We got to witness a great sunrise, watch our experiment soar into the sky, chase it down, find it was still working, and then head home. I had a great day.

Q: What's next for you after graduation?

I will be continuing here at CU Boulder to earn my MS in Aerospace Engineering through the BAM program with an emphasis in Autonomous Systems. After this, I plan to go into the Air Force and become a pilot. From here, I’ll take one of two tracks – either become a test pilot for the Air Force, or I’ll re-enter industry.

Q: What is the impact you hope to have on the world?

I want to do my best wherever I am currently at. I would really like to be able to contribute strongly to the aerospace industry with my technical skills, and I hope that this will keep my nation, community, and family safe.

So I’m going to give everything I have to my master’s studies this next year, and I’ll give all I am able to lead effectively while in the Air Force. This may cause me to make ranks quickly, in which case I would like it if my actions could directly prevent conflict or resolve conflict or end conflict. Even as a 2nd Lieutenant (the rank for new officers), I will be afforded the opportunity to protect my home. It’s likely many Americans will never know my name, but I will be proud to say that I have had a part in protecting them nonetheless.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say?

I am very thankful to the Smead Aerospace program. Yes, it has challenged me. It was difficult to get this far and maintain all of the other things I like to do. However, I stand about to graduate feeling excited to tackle the engineering, ethical, and personal challenges ahead of me.

I’d also like to thank my peers and friends. My peers pressured me into performing my best and gave me a community in which I was able to learn the course material and more. My friends also were there to remind me the value of time management and how helpful it can be to do things you enjoy. Thanks for your patience and reminders to keep the big picture in mind, and a special thanks to my brother who got an earful when things wouldn’t go my way.

Finally, I am immensely thankful for my mom and dad. They were the ones who set the expectation while I was young that I do my best work in everything I do. They guided me, raised me, and made sacrifices for me. In college, they are really the ones responsible for putting me on whatever trajectories I have since taken, and I am very grateful to them both for this.

More than this however, they were also the first to see when my schoolwork was getting to me, and they would offer advice, which I quickly learned was invaluable. Their shared wisdom has guided me in my decisions, and it has helped to remind me what really matters in the world.