4 minute read
Rocket Man Inspires
Juan Velasquez ROCKET MAN
When the Mars rover
“Perseverance” touched down on the surface of the Red
Planet, it was a doubly proud moment for Juan Velasquez,
OCS aeronautics teacher and Aerojet Rocketdyne senior engineer and performance analyst engineer.
As the lead project engineer for the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator —the system that powers the entire Rover with the heat of nuclear decay and plutonium—Velasquez saw the fulfillment of months of work. The Feb. 18 landing was the culmination of the Rover’s six-month journey to outer space.
“There was a live feed that we watched together at work. It was a big event for the entire country,” he shared.
Perseverance, joining Curiosity on Mars, is the most sophisticated vehicle the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has ever sent to Mars. The goal is to search for “signs of ancient microbial life, characterizing the planet’s geology and climate, collecting carefully selected rock and sediment samples for future return to Earth, and paving the way for human exploration beyond the Moon,” according to the agency.
As a high school teacher with a passion to make engineering relevant to students, the landing was a confirmation of why he teaches, and how he hopes to impact the next generation of engineers. Having been mentored by his own high school teachers, he hopes to pay it forward, bringing his industry experience to the classroom so students can see the connections between learning and realworld applications.
“Last year, even when we went remote with our instruction, we ended the school year learning all the elements of the rover. We covered all the systems (including the landing propulsion which Rocketdyne also built). There was a lot of content I shared from my own work, so the students know quite a bit about the Rover,” he said.
Velasquez has been with Rocketdyne for 18 years and teaching at Oaks Christian for five. He holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a masters in aeronautical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. Those are impressive accomplishments for an introvert with humble beginnings, who never thought he would be a teacher.
A native of Mexico and the youngest of three siblings, his family settled in the border town of Calexico, California when he was 11. He was immediately immersed in American culture not speaking a word of English. But by eighth grade he was in honors English (partly due to his competitive nature to prove he “could do it,” and a character trait that also helps him excel as an engineer). He was, however, more comfortable in the world of numbers and formulas, and that
natural ability was evident early on.
“I have always had an affinity for math and science and that grew even more after my family immigrated. Part of it too was that those were two fields where I did not need English proficiency and was comfortable doing applications and formulas in Spanish,” he shared.
As the first-generation college student in his family, he knows firsthand the value and cost of education.
“I knew the sacrifices my family was making, and I knew education was my way to gain an opportunity. Despite having disadvantages, I knew I could still achieve,” he said.
He had several teachers encourage him, and he shares his personal journey with students to help them overcome whatever obstacles they may be facing.
“That is where I felt the most impact in my journey to become an engineer, from my teachers,” he said. “I bring everything with me to the classroom and so I do share my personal experiences with them. I went to engineering school without ever having met an engineer in my life. I had very little idea what an engineer was. All these stories I share with them because I want to give them a perspective of someone who has gone through that journey and has become an engineer.”
A quiet and self-effacing man, Velasquez is quick to say he doesn’t have a natural gift to teach, but students and peers beg to differ.
“Each and every day, Juan brings an enthusiasm for life and for engineering. He’s here because he understands the importance of teaching the next generation about ideas and concepts that truly matter,” said Associate Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Northrop. “The Lord has blessed our community to have someone of Juan’s caliber.”
It is evident that he does have a strength to connect with students and that leads to positive outcomes.
“It is wonderful to feel I am reaching a student in the classroom. I also do get a lot of satisfaction when alumni come back and reach out to me about what is going on in their lives. Just the other day I had an alum asking me for my professional opinion and advice,” he said.
His enthusiasm for teaching is evident as he tours visitors through his workspace —the OCS IDEA Lab, a 13,000 square foot facility dedicated to Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Aeronautics. The building houses the Institute of Engineering, including the robotics section where Velasquez helps students create their own propulsion rockets.
“The one thing I tell students is that everyone can do engineering because it is basically problem-solving,” he said. “Especially at the high school level, students are capable of engineering because they are open to ideas and are creative.”
-Dr. Matt Northrop, Associate Head of School for Academics
