My first experience with model rockets came in 1996 while attending U.S. Space Camp at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One component of the camp included the construction and flight of a model rocket, which I had enjoyed very much. The following year, I attended U.S. Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. Once again, camp included model rockets. This time we built and flew a two-stage model rocket, which subsequently was the first rocket I lost as it became a nice snack for a hungry alligator. The next Chrismtas, my parents bought me a model rocket starter kit and ever since I have been hooked hooked.

I flew model rockets into 1999 before taking a 4 year break because I didn't know there was anything bigger than the C engines at K-Mart. Then, in October of 2002, a friend approached me and asked if I was willing to be a member on one of the school's Team America Rocketry Challenge Teams (TARC). I immediately said yes - mainly because I knew no one else on the team had ever done anything with model rockets before and because I was intrigued by the callenge - to send two eggs to an altitude of precisely 1,500 feet in a two stage rocket.

As I began to do research for the design of the rocket, I discovered what was responsible for drawing me back into rocketry - High Power rocket motors, particulary the Aerotech motors. Two months later we had a completed TARC rocket with electronic staging and a dual deployment altimeter for 2-stage recovery. Two months later, 4 days after my 18th birthday, I completed my level 1 high power certification flight. Two months later, I completed my level 2 certification flight, mostly because a supplier of TARC parts had mixed the shipping boxes up and let me keep the wrong order while he quickly sent me the right parts via "UPS Next Day Air".