How RISE Launched Their Careers: Alumni Stories from the Space Industry
April 2026 · Alumni Spotlight
What does it actually take to land a role at a rocket company fresh out of university? We asked four RISE alumni — now working or interviewing at leading aerospace companies — to tell us exactly how their time on the team shaped where they are today.
The answers were more consistent than we expected.
Majd Chahwan — Team Manager → Business Developer at SPHERICAL
📍 RISE: Team Manager, RISE UT/VU Rocketry Team (2024–2025)📍 Now: Junior Business Developer at SPHERICAL
Your role at RISE sounds like the deep end. What did Team Manager actually mean?
Leading a team of over 40 students, coordinating with sponsors and partners, and keeping a rocket project moving forward while everyone involved is simultaneously a full-time student. It was real responsibility from day one — not a simulation of it.
Did RISE come up in your interview at SPHERICAL?
It was the first thing I was asked about. I spoke about leading a large, multidisciplinary team, managing external relationships, and working in a technical environment where the stakes were real. It gave me strong, concrete stories to tell — and that made a huge difference.
What's one skill RISE gave you that no lecture ever could?
Communication — specifically, translating complex technical work into something clear and valuable for people outside engineering. In business development, that's what I do every day. You don't learn that from a textbook.
In one sentence, how did RISE launch your career?
"RISE gave me early exposure to the aerospace industry, hands-on responsibility, and a strong network that helped me take my first steps into the space sector."
What would you tell a student who's on the fence?
"Just do it. You will learn more in a few months than you would in a year of classes, and you will be surrounded by people who are all pushing themselves — which really accelerates your growth."
Borna Rašković — Chief of Manufacturing → intern Propulsion Engineer at RFA
📍 RISE: Chief of Mechanics and Manufacturing (1.5 years)📍 Now: Propulsion Engineer Intern at RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg)
You led a team through an actual rocket launch. What does that pressure feel like as a student?
You don't have time to think about the pressure — you're too busy coordinating seven engineers, managing the manufacturing pipeline, and making sure every part gets built and flies. When it worked, it wasn't just a milestone for the project. It was proof that everything we'd done under real pressure had paid off.
What did interviewers focus on?
RISE was actually the part I got the most questions about. They were interested in the leadership side — how I coordinated a team through a launch — and also in the CAD work from my earlier role. It gave me things to talk about that most candidates at my stage simply didn't have yet.
One skill RISE gave you that school didn't?
Teamwork across disciplines. At RFA I work daily with propulsion engineers, manufacturing engineers, and technicians. RISE taught me how to communicate across those lines — and how to bring people together around a shared goal. That's not something you pick up in a classroom.
In one sentence, how did RISE launch your career?
"RISE gave me hands-on experience working on a multidisciplinary engineering project, which became a key factor in securing my position at a rocket company."
What surprised you most about working in the space industry after RISE?
How familiar it felt. Nearly everyone I've worked with at RFA had been involved in a student rocket team. RISE didn't just prepare me technically — it put me in the same world as the people I'd be working alongside.
Your advice to students considering joining?
"It's honestly the best academic decision I made during my Bachelor's. These are skills and experiences you simply can't gain from lectures alone — and it gives you a significant advantage when applying to internships or jobs in the space industry."
Daniel Ciulei — Lead Control → Senior Spacecraft Integration & GNC Engineer at Dawn Aerospace
📍 RISE: Lead Control Engineer📍 Now: Senior Spacecraft Integration & GNC Engineer at Dawn Aerospace
Tell us about your defining RISE moment.
Debugging and fixing the flight computer overnight with my colleagues just before the launch of the Mk2. That was the highlight. There's no classroom exercise that prepares you for that kind of pressure — where the hardware is real, the clock is ticking, and you and your teammates are the only ones who can fix it.
Did RISE come up when you were applying for your current role?
It was one of the main talking points. The hands-on experience I gathered at RISE — specifically the work I did designing Alpha's GNC system and simulator during my MSc Thesis — is what gave me the technical foundation I use every day as a GNC engineer.
What's one skill RISE built that your degree didn't?
Most of the GNC knowledge I have now, I built at RISE. My degree gave me the theory. RISE gave me the context to apply it to a real vehicle, in real conditions, with real consequences if it didn't work.
In one sentence, how did RISE help launch your career?
"By creating an environment for students to learn more about their own skills."
What would you tell a hesitant student?
"Do it. Hands-on experience will matter more in any interview than all the diplomas you can show."
Victor Vassilev — ABS Designer → Internship RFA
📍 RISE: Active Braking System (ABS) Designer (1.5 years)📍 Now: Propulsion Engineer Intern at RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg)
You designed RISE's Active Braking System. What does that project mean for you now?
It was everything. When I interviewed at Rocket Factory Augsburg, I was asked directly about my time at RISE. I talked about designing and manufacturing the ABS module — how it gave me the opportunity to create, fail, and succeed in a real mechanical design cycle. That's not something you get from coursework.
What skill does RISE give you that engineering school can't?
RISE put me in a realistic engineering environment where I got to showcase the skills I'd learned in the classroom — and discover where they fell short. Engineering teaches you theory. RISE teaches you that a design is never just your own work. It's shaped by feedback, by constraints you didn't anticipate, by conversations with people who see the problem differently. That collaborative instinct — knowing how to take in input and build something better from it — is what separates capable engineers from professionals.
In one sentence, how did RISE launch your career?
"Engineering taught me the theory; RISE gave me the tools to turn it into reality."
What about students who feel like they don't have enough time, or aren't ready yet?
"At first, it may seem that you lack the time or have a fear that the long-term members know more than you. But being part of RISE unveils your hidden confidence and gives you so much room to grow into a well-rounded practicing engineer. Joining comes with responsibilities — but so does every job you'll ever have."
What These Four Stories Have in Common
They came from different countries, studied different disciplines, and ended up in different corners of the industry. But ask any of them what their RISE experience meant and you get the same answers: real responsibility, real stakes, and skills you can't replicate in a lecture hall.
All four were asked about RISE in interviews. All four said joining was one of the best decisions they made during their studies. And none of them waited until they felt ready — they joined, figured it out, and built something worth talking about.
If you're still thinking about it: that's your sign.
