Student Spotlight - Jason Welstead
Name: Jason Welstead
Hometown: Elkhorn, Neb.
Year: Doctoral student
Major: Aerospace Engineering
When applying to graduate schools, Jason Welstead was attracted to Auburn University because of its interest in having him on board. The aerospace engineering graduate recruiter and faculty members took the time to respond quickly to his questions and then followed up with an attractive financial package. "I just felt as though they actually wanted me to attend, as opposed to other schools that just expected me to show up," says Jason.
Being a graduate student in aerospace engineering at Auburn has felt like home to him. He enjoys the academic challenges, as well as the people within the department. "I am not from the South, so the people here are really important to me," says Jason. "I enjoy the closeness among all the students within the department. They have become my family."
Jason's favorite Auburn memory so far has been serving as team captain for the student AIAA Design/Build/Fly team. Although many of the team members were inexperienced, they were able to build an RC aircraft that completed all three competition specified missions—the only team out of nine in the competition to successfully complete the task.
