Before becoming an engineer at a large space company in Los Angeles, California, Joe Lasser attended Parkland College and the University of Illinois. Joe is also one of our very own, a Ridgeview alumni! Joe knew what areas he wanted to study and focus on after high school, but didn't develop a clear career path until he was exposed to more options while attending college.
At Ridgeview, Joe enjoyed participating in the scholastic bowl team. He says this program tested his strengths in trivia and allowed him to have fun with his friends. He also enjoyed being a part of the outdoor club at Ridgeview, which gave him the opportunity to ski, hike, and camp with his friends. Joe praises the encouragement he received from his teachers at Ridgeview, saying their flexibility and openness to expanding the curriculum in their classes and going beyond what was expected is what really supported the challenges he and his classmates were interested in. "The best classroom experiences were always the hands-on ones, like doing egg drops in middle school and building massive trebuchets to launch golf balls on the football field in physics. My team was the first to hit the elementary school gym from the 50 yard line," Joe says.
Prior to attending the University of Illinois, Joe chose to attend the Parkland Pathways to Illinois program. He highly recommends attending a community college to students. Joe mentions the teachers there were very motivated. Some of them were retired professors, while others worked day jobs at companies their students may be interested in. The program provided him with a large variety of classes and allowed him to dabble in things to really find out what he likes doing, all while sparing the costs of a university.
With a career in engineering, Joe specializes in satellite guidance, navigation, and control. Through software, he is able to teach satellites how to know where they are in space. He controls how satellites turn and change how they move. This software also allows him to meet the needs from sizing the hardware inside the spacecraft to testing if it works in simulations, and to operating it once it is up in orbit. Joe explains, "The fun thing is that the math behind it all is used in everything from satellites and self-driving cars to thermometers and cruise control."
In conclusion, Joe discusses the importance of having an open mind in this day and age. He says, "Social media makes it easy to ignore things you do not like or agree with, and also find others who agree with you constantly. But, by shutting out things you don't like, you are stunting your growth as a person. A more holistic view and understanding of the world, and the opinions you yourself develop personally from your knowledge, demonstrates to others that you are a well-rounded, unique individual." He ends by stating, "Uniqueness brings value to companies and relationships alike, and it makes you irreplaceable."
The Ridgeview community is proud of all of your accomplishments, Joe. We wish you nothing but the best!