48FALL ACADEMICS The Final Frontier Will Waldron pursues his dream of becoming an astronaut. INSTRUCTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICS Will Waldron applied to be an astronaut for NASA in the spring of 2020 in hopes of fulfilling his lifelong dream of traveling to space. Waldron had wanted to be an astronaut since age 5, unable to escape the calling. “I’ve looked up into space and desired to go there for a long time,” Waldron said. “I can’t explain why, though. There is just so much that we do not know. I feel like we have lost a lot of our craving for exploration— the raw feeling of wanting to know. I think there is a joy in the pursuit of knowledge, and I would love to be able to search for truth both here on earth and around the earth.” While Waldron fulfilled all the requirements to become an astronaut when he applied in spring 2016, he was not accepted into the program. However, this did not stop him from pursuing his dream. Waldron applied again in spring 2020 with more on his resumé. “There’s basically only two routes to becoming an astronaut,” Waldron said. “One, you can do it through the military, which really wasn’t my cup of tea, or two is to get a Ph.D. I spend Tuesdays in my office trying to chip aways bits of my Ph.D. in hopes to wrap it up within the next year or two.” Waldron was aware of the probability of becoming an astronaut for NASA. NASA had 12 to 16 openings for the astronaut pledge class of 2018, and they received around 80,000 applications. Despite the statistical likelihood of being selected, his hope remained. “Most of being accepted has to do with having the qualifications that NASA needs right then,” Waldron said. “I’m an astrophysicist. I really hope that NASA needs an astronaut that’s an astrophysicist one day.” His assured attitude created a positive environment for his students to follow their dreams. Waldron believed if someone shot for the stars and pursued their dream, they would achieve and love it. Waldron also believed sometimes one’s own plan may not align with God’s. “You can either be really bummed out or you can realize that God has something grander for you somewhere else in life,” Waldron said. “When your eyes are set on Jesus, he will lead you where you need to go.” Waldron aimed to encourage students throughout everyday life. What Waldron worked toward was not impossible, and he hoped his students realized that no goal was too big for them. Ashlyn Elmore, a junior teacher assistant for Waldron, recognized Waldron’s success in encouraging his students. “I think he encourages his students to follow their dreams in leading by example,” Elmore said. “He’s never been afraid to share his dreams with his students, and I think that that ambitious energy really rubs off on his students.” Junior Carson Hayes said that Waldron embodied the perfect set of characteristics that make up a great teacher. “I genuinely feel encouraged by him in his course,” Hayes said. “I hope that he someday becomes an astronaut.” WRITTEN BY BONNIE SPANN THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Instructor of engineering and physics Will Waldron stands before his lecture. Through his teachings, he inspired students to set big goals. Photo by: Kaitlyn Cutshall
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