High School Innovator to Community Changemaker
Inspired by a NASA shuttle launch when he was just seven years old, aerospace engineering undergrad Amadou Wade began dreaming of a career in aerospace. Trips to museums, exposure to the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, sci-fi films, and family encouragement helped him continue to cultivate his dreams as he grew up. “I used to say I wanted to be a spaceship builder before I learned exactly what an aerospace engineer was,” said Wade, who grew up in Prince George’s County after relocating from Tuskegee, Alabama with his family. Once he learned that aerospace engineering was the pathway to his dreams of building rockets and space systems, he began looking for opportunities to help him realize his goals. However, when he arrived in high school, the opportunities to expand his experience in science and engineering were limited. “I really wanted to gain technical experience while I was in high school,” said Wade. “But many of the available programs had limited enrollment and the existing STEM clubs had fees that made them prohibitively expensive for my family.” However, those roadblocks didn’t deter him, and he began to teach himself how to build drones at home. “I didn’t want to wait till an opportunity came to me,” said Wade. “I wanted to create my own opportunity so I could teach myself more technical skills.” It was during that time that Wade also needed to find a volunteer role that would meet his high school service-learning hours, and he saw another opportunity to create the experiences he was looking for. “Amadou came at the perfect time,” said Kevin Cabrera, then the director of the College Park Aviation Museum. “Museums can spark inspiration, but what can we do to nurture that?” Cabrera, whose career has focused on opportunities to expand museum outreach programs to youth, was already working with the museum’s education team to develop their Youth Aviators Program—a series of four-week programs introducing students to various aviation careers. When Wade began volunteering at the museum to meet his service hours, and expressed an interest in helping with a hands-on drone program, Cabrera saw it as an excellent opportunity to add a more technical, hands-on component to their existing program. Working with the museum’s education team, Kimberly Schwartz and Shelby Powell, Wade recruited several high school friends and began developing the foundation for what would become the Drone Academy. “Amadou really is the drone program,” said Schwartz, explaining how Wade brought in his own drone, helped them compile the list of needed supplies, the budget, and assisted with documenting all the necessary steps for the build process. “It was great to have students from different grades, with varying levels of interest, to see how they would engage with the project, and help us figure out the pacing,” said Schwartz, who added that since her background is not in a technical science field, Wade was instrumental in helping the museum get the program off the ground. While the museum team credits Wade with a great deal of the course’s success, Wade says the museum’s support of his idea was critical. "I'm incredibly grateful to Kevin. His belief in my vision for the Drone Academy gave me the opportunity to not just learn about drones, but to become an engineer in practice. While building the program, I was also tackling real-world engineering problems, from design and construction to troubleshooting and program development. Kevin's support was crucial in providing the resources and guidance I needed to solve these challenges and gain invaluable hands-on experience." "I am deeply grateful to Fitzgerald Walker, mechanical engineering outreach coordinator at UMD, for his invaluable advice,” said Wade. “His guidance enhanced my ability to provide impactful experiences for my students through outreach initiatives." Since graduating from high school and enrolling at UMD, Wade continues to be actively involved with the drone program, acting as a part-time instructor for the course which has been extended to DuVal High School, a comprehensive science and technology public magnet high school in Prince George’s County that runs an aviation and aerospace curriculum program. “He came into DuVal with a lot of hands-on experience,” says Michael Orcutt, DuVal’s aeronautics instructor. “It was a great benefit to have his expertise in some of those areas when we’re talking about electrical engineering, electronics, and different concepts that come into building drones.” Wade attends DuVal classes, answering questions and helping students troubleshoot, helping them get the hands-on skills--in electrical engineering, electronics, and other concepts needed for building drones--that he wanted at their age. "He comes in with a lot of hands-on experience," says Michael Orcutt, DuVal's aeronautics instructor. Wade even chose his summer internship at the University of Maryland’s UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC) this year based on how it could help both him and the program. Knowing that the University of Maryland houses one of the leading UAS research centers in the nation, Wade saw an internship with UROC as an unparalleled opportunity. He believed that immersing himself in this environment would equip him with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in drone technology, exceeding what he could gain independently. “I know I don’t know everything about UAVs and drones,” Wade admitted, “But by coming to UROC, I can learn from world-leading UAV engineers to learn to not only how to build advance UAS system but also educational drone platforms. Then I can create connections with my local community where this knowledge can be shared to students to discover potential passion.” Orcutt appreciates having Wade in the classroom, for not only his technical skills, but as someone closer to the student’s age, who can speak to them on their terms, and be a role model for what is possible. “He really comes [into the classroom] with passion and conveys what’s possible in a real, meaningful way to our students.” While Wade is driven in his aerospace engineering career, he is also passionate about ensuring that future engineers have the opportunities they need to succeed and be successful. He believes that by empowering youth with knowledge and skills, it is not just about individual success, it's about shaping the future of our society. “Knowledge is a great equalizer, and when we invest in young minds, we're investing in innovation, progress, and solutions to global challenges,” he adds. “Every student who discovers a passion for STEM through our programs could be the one to develop the next breakthrough in renewable energy, space exploration, medical technology, and more.” As he looks to the future, that is why Wade is committed to continuing his efforts to inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers, and to create opportunities for others, just as he was given the chance to pursue his dreams. “My story is not just about personal achievement,” says Wade. “It's about the ripple effect of knowledge, and the power of believing in young people's potential to change the world.”
Wade, back left, with DuVal High School students touring the University of Maryland Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel.
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