By: Jason Iwara
‘Looking to the stars’ is a phrase usually used metaphorically, but for senior Connor Lloyd it’s become very real.
Lloyd has been interested in aerospace engineering since the sixth grade at Discovery Charter School. As the first class of sixth grade students to ever attend Discovery, their engineering program was underdeveloped.
“They didn’t have a whole lot of money to work with,” said Lloyd, “so most of the time we were just building with Legos and that kind of stuff.”
Although the program was unfocused, one teacher in particular stood out to Lloyd.
“Mr. Davis gave a feeling of freedom that other teachers didn’t,” said Lloyd. “He knew what he was talking about.”
Davis, an engineering teacher at Discovery, had a specialized understanding of automotive and mechanical engineering and was able to answer all of Lloyd’s questions.
“I didn’t feel like I had to just ask him questions about mechanical engineering,”
said Lloyd. “I could ask my other stuff and he’d be able to answer them.”
Although originally coming to Riverside for the aerospace engineering class, Lloyd attributes his growth in engineering as a whole to the Project Lead the Way program.
“This is the best I’m going to find in Durham,” said Lloyd. “I learned a lot of other important stuff.”
Lloyd hopes to someday work for a large space program, building rockets and rovers.
Lloyd is committed to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, particularly because of its strong engineering program. North Carolina State was his top choice, but he’s satisfied with Tennessee’s commitment to the program.
“They’re pouring so much money into their programs, much more than State’s doing,” said Lloyd, “I think right now State’s ranked higher, but Tennessee is rising.”
