ARC Scholarship Helping Aerospace Engineering Major Have a Blast

Growing up in San Diego, Tanner Whitney started staring at the stars when he was a youngster.

But it wasn’t until an outing with his church group that he actually started thinking about reaching the stars rather than just gazing at them.

“Every year they would do a camp out for all the boys in our Awana organization,” said Tanner (’26). “The leaders encouraged us to bring model rockets so we could launch them while we were out there. I always enjoyed doing that each year and that is the earliest memory I have of when I began to enjoy rocketry.”

Those early memories have blossomed into a lifetime pursuit for Tanner, and the spark for ignition was further stoked when he became part of the American Rocketry Challenge as a senior at Christian High School in El Cajon, California.

What is the American Rocketry Challenge?

Every year, the American Rocketry Challenge gives nearly 5,000 high school students in the U.S. the chance to learn the basics of rocket flight by designing, building and launching model rockets.

The process, which leads to a nationwide competition, helps participants solidify their STEM skills, provides hands-on engineering experience and ultimately helps some students with their college tuition.

“It was a blast!” Tanner said of his time in ARC. “I learned a lot about the basics of what it takes to construct a rocket as well as the types of regulations you need to adhere to when flying.”

Tanner Whitney, shown here at the Spanish Steps during a visit to Rome, is excited about launching his future at Embry‑Riddle. (Photo: Tanner Whitney)

For Tanner, being part of the ARC resulted in more than just the challenge and thrill of creating model rockets that fly. It also guided him in charting a course for his future and provided funds to help him cover the cost of college.

“The experience definitely confirmed in my mind that this is something I would like to do as a career,” said Tanner. “The scholarship has allowed me more time to focus on my studies and less on the financial side of things.

Why Choose Embry‑Riddle’s Prescott Campus for Aerospace Engineering?

These days, Tanner has plenty of studying to focus on as he pursues his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering in the renowned program at Embry‑Riddle’s Prescott, Arizona, Campus.

“I chose Embry Riddle for my degree because they have one of the best Aerospace Engineering programs in the country,” Tanner said. “And I wanted the opportunity to study with the best.”

There were other attractions that pulled him toward the Prescott Campus, which is nestled in the Bradshaw Mountains about midway between the Grand Canyon and Phoenix and features small class sizes along with state-of-the-art labs and facilities that enable undergraduates to dive right into research, development and innovation.

“I thoroughly enjoy the small-town atmosphere in Prescott,” Tanner added. “It is perfect for me to be able to continue hiking and stargazing on the weekends.”

Preparing to Launch a Stellar Career

With his future looking up, Tanner is looking ahead to doing what he loves.

“My ultimate goal is to one day be employed at a company that is focusing on space exploration,” he said. “The company at the top of my list at the moment is Relativity Space. They definitely have caught my attention over the past year, and I would love to work for them one day.”

When the time comes to apply at Relativity or anywhere else, Tanner knows he can count on the preparation provided by his Embry‑Riddle experience.