Congratulations to Martin Guzenda, Purdue Engineering Class of 2028! Martin is a student at Vandegrift High School in Austin, TX. In addition to his highly rigorous course load, he was involved in robotics on the CAD and hardware teams, played trumpet in his high school’s state championship varsity marching band, and spent two terms as Assistant Patrol Leader in his Boy Scout troop. His proud parents say, “There were weeks where he had school work and activities every day, sometimes not getting home until 2 AM. He never complained and still managed to get good grades, study for the SAT, and write essays upon essays for college applications.”

Watching the launch of the Curiosity rover in kindergarten made Martin excited to help build rockets, which is why he applied to the Aero & Astro Engineering major at Purdue. He says, “I always knew I wanted to go into engineering. Taking an aptitude test through CIT was nerve-wracking because maybe the results would have pointed me in another direction. I was happy when the careers I was best suited for matched my interests.” Those current interests include electrical propulsion systems in rockets where solar panels or nuclear reactors could support self-sustaining thrust.

The road to Purdue was a long one. He initially applied early action, submitting his application at the end of August, but he was deferred in the early application round. His mom says, “Writing doesn’t always come easy for Martin, but he really worked hard on writing college essays. The time he spent researching the college and engineering program helped him write a strong letter of continued interest, which I think made the difference in his acceptance.” His consultant says, “Martin dedicated so much of his summer to his college process. He worked with a tutor to raise his SAT, spent hours on essays, and got all his applications done before November 1. I was so impressed with his dedication and wonderful work ethic. He will definitely make the most of his opportunities at Purdue.”

Martin’s advice to others is to look for a wide range of schools. “Purdue wasn’t initially on my list, but after working with my consultant, it came up as a reach school for me. After seeing the campus and talking to engineering students there, it quickly became my top choice. The buildings are so unique, and it has a small college town feel that I was looking for.” Martin was also impressed by the facilities and undergraduate engineering research opportunities. His parents really wanted Martin to have a college-town experience. “We love that Purdue offers him that while still only being two hours away from a large city. We also love their impressive engineering reputation.”

“My parents were super helpful in helping me organize my ideas for my college essays and overall supporting me through high school. They also spent countless hours supporting me at band competitions, which, in the Texas heat, was not always easy!” He would also like to thank his CIT consultant, his tutors at Breakaway Test Prep, and all of his teachers, band directors, and robotics coaches.

Congratulations, Martin! Here’s hoping your one small step to Indiana is a giant leap for aerospace engineering!