Oak Park High School offers students the opportunity to expand their interest and knowledge in various fields, including engineering. By collaborating with their peers to create rockets, students are able to soar above and beyond the horizon, both figuratively and literally. 

Students meet on Wednesdays and Fridays to brainstorm, create and test their rockets. While the design process is not always smooth sailing, the end result is always a product of determination and perseverance. 

“What we do in rocketry is genuinely so interesting and different from anything I’ve done in any other club or class,” junior Diya Varrier said. “I have learned to work well with others and use innovative and creative skills to build rockets.”

Students are able to delve even deeper into their love for engineering, allowing for growth.

“I’ve always been passionate about engineering and I like tinkering with electronics and I decided that I would apply my skills in a more competitive way,” junior Srisharan Murugesan wrote to the Talon. “I found rocketry was a way for me to challenge my engineering mindset, teaching me to tackle problems.”

For many students, the class has become more than just an afterschool activity. Instead, it has formed into a tight knit community bringing out the best side of students involved in engineering. 

“My favorite part about being in Rocketry is being around people that I just really enjoy spending my time with,” Murugesan wrote. “A lot of these people are my friends, people I’ll talk to in and out of school.”