My name is Jonathan Richmond and I recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors in Engineering with Honors Research Distinction in Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University as an Eminence Fellow. Every year, 20-25 students are chosen to receive offers to the Eminence program, which comes with a scholarship covering the full cost of attendance for eight semesters. As part of this program, I got the opportunity to connect with faculty in my department, participate in undergraduate research, and create a class service project. This scholarship enabled me to earn a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering with a minor in Classical Humanities (Greek civilization track). In addition to my studies, I stayed involved on campus. I served as the President of International Justice Mission at OSU and the Treasurer for Student Christian Fellowship. I was also a co-founder of The Right Click, which was our Eminence class service initiative dealing with electronic waste and sustainability. Additionally, I joined Sigma Gamma Tau, an Aerospace Engineering honorary that recognizes individuals who have benefited their profession. I also conducted undergraduate research under Dr. Whitfield in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, analyzing hypersonic waverider flight mechanics, trajectory optimization, and flight vehicle design. In the Fall, I will be starting a Ph.D. program at Purdue University studying Aeronautics and Astronautics, focusing on Astrodynamics and Space Applications.

Although I was born in Columbus, I was raised and homeschooled in Ruckersville, Virginia. When I was younger, I was interested in everything related to rockets or space. My dad and I would go to the park to launch model rockets and my grandmother painted my room with murals of the moon, rockets, and astronauts. As I grew older, I learned more about NASA and engineering in school. I decided I wanted to become an aerospace engineer and work for NASA, building the rockets and spacecraft that would send astronauts to space. During high school, I focused my efforts on STEM classes and participated in two summer academies, hosted by NASA, that focused on aerospace engineering and mission design. By the time I graduated and was accepted to Ohio State, I was ready to start pursuing my major in aerospace engineering.

I also pursued a minor in classical humanities because it is a topic that I take great interest in. Growing up, I enjoyed learning about ancient civilizations and reading about their mythologies and religion. The Greek stories were my favorites, so I chose to pursue that track of the minor. Apart from my interest in the subject material, I believe that a humanities minor balances my educational studies. The study and application of engineering were first developed by ancient civilizations. To this day, if you visit Greece, Rome, or Egypt, you can still see extraordinary feats of architecture and engineering. Their designs have also made an effect on engineering in many modern cities. I think that studying ancient civilizations helps strengthen my engineering background.