Kineo Wallace

Current Name:

Kineo Wallace

Graduation Year and years at MSSM?

2013 after 2 years at MSSM

Hometown/Sending School:

Penquis Valley High School in Milo, Maine

Where did you go after MSSM?:

Florida Institute of Technology for my undergraduate in Aerospace Engineering and my Masters in Space Systems Engineering

What are you doing now?:

I am the lead propulsion and fluids engineer at Vaya Space and the inventor of the Supercritical Oxygen Expander Cycle Hybrid Rocket Engine which is powered by recycled High Density Polyethylene

What is your favorite memory from MSSM?:

One of my favorite memories of MSSM is when a large group of us went mudsliding down the hill by the baseball dugouts in the middle of a thunderstorm to which Mr. Grillo came screaming out to yell at us and drag us back inside because he was afraid we'd get struck by lightning

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

Pete Peterson in Calc 1 because he was able to teach me how to learn and he was not afraid to challenge his students.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for MSSM?:

Savor every moment of it, they say college is the best time of your life, but MSSM can be just as good if not better in some moments. It's like getting to do college twice. It's not something many people get to do, so take full advantage of it. Enjoy some extra classes, spend more time on exploring the world, and using the resources that are provided to you at the school.

What role did MSSM play in who or where you are now?:

MSSM is 100% a major reason as to why I am who I am today. MSSM taught me how to fail, how to learn from that failure, and most of all how to learn. Because of MSSM I was able to spend less time during my first years of college learning this which afforded me the ability to do many different research projects and studies with my professors which ultimately leads me to where I am today as a lead engineer.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

Good to Great, an excellent book that explains not only how to live in the business world, but also in life.