COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia High School’s Air Force JROTC cadets got to experience a rocket launch outside the school on Thursday.
“I feel like she did amazing,” said Damarion Collins, after watching his model rocket launch. “She went higher than I expected.”
“He went up in the air like he was supposed to,” said student Lenoxx Prophet, referring to his own model rocket. “His parachute- his pillow came out.”
The students built these model rockets themselves, learning about rocket engines, recovery devices, aerodynamics and aerospace careers. plus, earning a model rocketry badge.
“I want to be a pilot,” said Harmony Perry, another student who participated. “So, I feel like this will really help me.”
Robyn Jackson helped the students launch.
“Aerospace is number four in South Carolina's export industries and so the students are working today to make sure that they are preparing themselves and fulfilling, for fulfilling careers in the future,” Jackson said.
Jackson is a mission commander at Richland School District One’s Challenger Learning Center. She says when she was these kids’ age, activities like this helped her prepare for her job now.
“Some of the skills that they need to build these rockets and go into that aerospace engineering workforce is communication, analyzing problem solving, mathematics,” Jackson said. “And we get to work with all of those skills.”
Major Ray Hammond Jr. is the senior aerospace teacher at Columbia High.
“Given our population, a lot of kids can’t stay for after-school activities due to transportation so this was a pretty unique event,” Hammond said.
He says this is the first time they’ve offered students a chance to build and launch rockets during class-time.
“And Air Force JROTC in the future is actually going to make this a part of the curriculum so we can teach it during class,” Hammond said.