When gathering ideas for articles to feature in our nascent newsletter, I had the idea of an alumni spotlight, a way to feature Beth Tfiloh alumni currently involved in STEM. For each BT grad, I plan to showcase some questions about “big ideas,” to give the reader a sense of what science is like beyond the halls of BT, and give insight into these alumni’s experiences. My first interview of this series was with Ethan Traub, a BT alumnus attending Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Ryan: What first sparked your interest in science? 

Ethan: I first fell in love with science in general, and particularly aerospace when I went to a rocketry camp the summer before ninth grade. I had a great time, and that really planted the seed for my love of STEM. 

R: What was your favorite part of science at BT? 

E: I really think the most unique aspect of science at BT is the STEM Center. I wish I were in the STEM lab more in high school. It’s such a unique opportunity to pursue individual projects that you really don’t have as much time for in college. 

R: What advice would you give current high schoolers interested in STEM?[Text Wrapping Break]E: Computer science is really important for any field in STEM. Having an understanding of how your code is working is super important because data acquisition and analysis means you’re pretty set for working in science. If you’re interested in any of the physical sciences, it’s an extremely valuable skill to begin learning in high school. 

R: What was your senior internship like? 

E: I worked as a materials science intern at Vorbeck Materials, a company specializing in graphene based wearable communications technology for first responders. It’s definitely a niche field, but the procedures and experiences from the internship were really valuable as a source of hands-on experience.  

R: What are you majoring in, and why did you choose that major? 

E: I’m an Aerospace Engineering major. It was really that first experience with aerospace in the summer before ninth grade that made me interested in the field, and as I got older I was able to do further research and realize that it was something I’d like to do for a living. I recommend to everyone interested in science to try new things, it’s the only way to determine what you like. 

R: What has your college experience been like? 

E: I’ve definitely taken some challenging classes like programming and integral calculus, but I feel super prepared for a lot of my classes. High school really taught me a lot, and it’s fairly easy because I had that foundation. 

R: What are your plans for the future? 

E: I’m definitely considering going on to get a master’s degree. For work, I’d really like to do something with propulsion science.