I am long overdue for an entry, this I realize. Stephan Wlodarczyk is still here folks, I am alive and well and of course, still dreaming up dreams. I was trying to hold off for the longest time, just hoping I would be receiving a phone call filled with good news. I was recently granted an interview by Boeing and it was an interview like no other. Try envisioning a day where you felt as if everything was going your way, a day which your were feeling invulnerable and not a single soul or force could stop. That is what I felt like after my one hour interview!
That interview happened back in the early month of November, and I patiently waited for a phone call to find out if I would have the summer co-op position in St. Louis. Day after day, week after week, I hovered over my phone, hoping to see the 314 area code appear on my cellphone when finally it happened. I was told I was the number one candidate for the position, and that I would be given the offer, but they could not extend it because the facility I would be positioned at was undergoing budget constraints. Therefore, I will not know definitively if I will be taken in until sometime this month. Thus, I have to wait for another dreaded phone call.
I was hoping the next entry I made on this site was me exclaiming I earned a co-op with Boeing. Technically speaking, I did earn it, just haven't been granted the offer. The past few months have just been a roller coaster of emotions. I halted the ROTC program because being a dual major in Software Engineering and Information Technology is enough for me to handle at this point of time. But ever since I stopped, I feel like I have let myself down. I feel like I have given up.
My parents and family say I am too hard on myself. My friends and colleagues say I work to much, and others say whats all the fuss. Perhaps this is all true, perhaps I am being to hard on myself... maybe. But like Christopher Gardener said in the Pursuit of Happiness, "You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period."
Well damn it, I am going to protect it, I will persevere, and I not going to give up. There is a dream out there with my name on it, and I, Stephan Wlodarczyk, am refusing to let it go.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Cadet Wlodarczyk
I am long overdue for a writeup and so enough of the writer's block!
I cannot remember when I first became so obsessed with learning about World War II. It may have been a day when I enjoyed a classic black and white war film with my father or perhaps my interest came about from the numerous video games I played growing up such as Medal of Honor, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, or Brothers in Arms.
Of course when I was younger, I never understood the purpose war. Back to those classic films, I recall watching The Longest Day for the first time, remembering how brilliant and awesome these men were for charging up these beach heads in Normandy. I failed to realize at the time how Hollywood made the event much more glorified and majestic.
On the other hand, when you see films like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, there is a whole other aspect to war which you never saw in the 50s and 60s. You see horrific events unfold, you see the hardship, chaos, and the sacrifices made. You see things that you would not wish for any human to endure.
When I was a senior in high school, our history class was given a mandatory assignment in which we had to write an essay on the meaning of Memorial Day. The entire history department would then review our work and decide who prepared the best essay overall, thus earning the privilege to read it out loud to hundreds of people in my hometown during Memorial Day weekend.
When I was told in class that my essay was chosen, I had this overwhelming feeling, almost as if I knew I was going to be picked. And when that day came, when I had to stand in front of the village of Newark, I knew my emotions would consume me, not realizing how many people I would affect because of it.
I wish I could share the essay with everyone, but I do not think I ever saved it nor backed it up on a computer. It was nothing sophisticated; no fancy vocabulary, did not sound poetic, nothing special at all. But what was written down was true and pure and I do recall one of the lines:
"...and when men stormed the beaches of Normandy, many of them perished before setting foot upon the ground, let alone even fire a single shot back at their enemy."
It was after this line my eyes filled with tears that day. I did not think I could manage to carry fourth with the reading. I stumbled across the last few sentences, gasping for air, wiping my tears, praying that I could just be done with it all.
Yet it was through this moment when I realized just how grateful I was. I taught and learned myself the true meaning of Memorial Day and I never forgot the tears I placed in the eyes of my friends, family, classmates, and in people I never once said hello too.
When it was all said and done, a veteran approached the podium I stood at and announced to the crowd: "I am going to do something that I have never done in the 12 years of my service."
He turned facing me, stood at attention, and raised his hand to his eye brow. There I stood, everyone completely silent, and here was a military veteran saluting me. This image has never faded away and every time I recall upon this day, even now, my eyes still swell up.
I have always had this urge to join the military. I guess you could say its a calling, but nonetheless, I feel obligated to serve.
I am Cadet Third Class Wlodarczyk of the United States Air Force ROTC program at RIT.
I enrolled on a last minute decision shortly after my summer classes finished. I felt that this would be my one and only opportunity left to see if the military is something I do want to pursue after college.
I see it as a way to pay the respects of those who have fallen, who sacrificed their lives to enable the life I have to day. I see it as a chance to gain credible work experience in the space and missile defense sector and perhaps further enable me to pursue my ambitions in joining the Astronaut Corp.
I have much more on my mind to write about, much more stories to elaborate on and share, but unfortunately I have to cut it here for now. I have 3 examinations tomorrow which I desperately need to prepare for. So although I would love to go further with this, I have to leave you abruptly.
At least I finally made an attempt to break this writing drought. So until then, I continue on my journey. See you out there!
I cannot remember when I first became so obsessed with learning about World War II. It may have been a day when I enjoyed a classic black and white war film with my father or perhaps my interest came about from the numerous video games I played growing up such as Medal of Honor, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, or Brothers in Arms.
Of course when I was younger, I never understood the purpose war. Back to those classic films, I recall watching The Longest Day for the first time, remembering how brilliant and awesome these men were for charging up these beach heads in Normandy. I failed to realize at the time how Hollywood made the event much more glorified and majestic.
On the other hand, when you see films like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, there is a whole other aspect to war which you never saw in the 50s and 60s. You see horrific events unfold, you see the hardship, chaos, and the sacrifices made. You see things that you would not wish for any human to endure.
* * * * *
When I was a senior in high school, our history class was given a mandatory assignment in which we had to write an essay on the meaning of Memorial Day. The entire history department would then review our work and decide who prepared the best essay overall, thus earning the privilege to read it out loud to hundreds of people in my hometown during Memorial Day weekend.
When I was told in class that my essay was chosen, I had this overwhelming feeling, almost as if I knew I was going to be picked. And when that day came, when I had to stand in front of the village of Newark, I knew my emotions would consume me, not realizing how many people I would affect because of it.
I wish I could share the essay with everyone, but I do not think I ever saved it nor backed it up on a computer. It was nothing sophisticated; no fancy vocabulary, did not sound poetic, nothing special at all. But what was written down was true and pure and I do recall one of the lines:
"...and when men stormed the beaches of Normandy, many of them perished before setting foot upon the ground, let alone even fire a single shot back at their enemy."
It was after this line my eyes filled with tears that day. I did not think I could manage to carry fourth with the reading. I stumbled across the last few sentences, gasping for air, wiping my tears, praying that I could just be done with it all.
Yet it was through this moment when I realized just how grateful I was. I taught and learned myself the true meaning of Memorial Day and I never forgot the tears I placed in the eyes of my friends, family, classmates, and in people I never once said hello too.
When it was all said and done, a veteran approached the podium I stood at and announced to the crowd: "I am going to do something that I have never done in the 12 years of my service."
He turned facing me, stood at attention, and raised his hand to his eye brow. There I stood, everyone completely silent, and here was a military veteran saluting me. This image has never faded away and every time I recall upon this day, even now, my eyes still swell up.
I have always had this urge to join the military. I guess you could say its a calling, but nonetheless, I feel obligated to serve.
I am Cadet Third Class Wlodarczyk of the United States Air Force ROTC program at RIT.
I enrolled on a last minute decision shortly after my summer classes finished. I felt that this would be my one and only opportunity left to see if the military is something I do want to pursue after college.
I see it as a way to pay the respects of those who have fallen, who sacrificed their lives to enable the life I have to day. I see it as a chance to gain credible work experience in the space and missile defense sector and perhaps further enable me to pursue my ambitions in joining the Astronaut Corp.
* * * * *
I have much more on my mind to write about, much more stories to elaborate on and share, but unfortunately I have to cut it here for now. I have 3 examinations tomorrow which I desperately need to prepare for. So although I would love to go further with this, I have to leave you abruptly.
At least I finally made an attempt to break this writing drought. So until then, I continue on my journey. See you out there!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The end of our space program?
Is it really the end or is there something in our near future to rise above the shuttle program? Your guess is good as mine. Some will state SpaceX is going to get us back up into the black abyss. Others will say NASA will recover with new technology and launch capabilities. As for the rest, well they say down with the program.
What do I think? I tend to be optimistic about the first two statements. I have always favored SpaceX to be our new beginning as a space fairing nation. It would broaden our access to low earth orbit and allow time for NASA to recuperate and gain control of its leadership and vision. I am not the one to accuse and point fingers but the truth is there; our failure to construct a new program in exchange of the shuttles is because there was no sincere administration.
Perhaps all the news regarding the final shuttle mission will get the public’s attention. Maybe this transition will get people excited about space again. Yet, there are those who will ignore the warning as they are certain space exploration is a waste of our tax dollars. Let me address these two comments that I have seen across many news websites and message boards (they make my blood boil).
"Why explore when we have our own problems on Earth?"
Since the dawn of our existence, we have had problems. It is in our blood to seek out conflict; we are drawn to it for some bizarre reason. Think about it, how many crime shows do we have on T.V. nowadays? We like to watch Judge Judy, people love to chant “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry”, and we can’t seem to get enough of it. The question all together is bologna (for lack of a better word). Let’s face the real fact: There will and will always be problems on Earth.
People do not seem to understand the architectural feat that humans have just accomplished. The International Space Station, a scientific/research complex built some 200 miles above the Earth , assembled in cooperation of several space agencies around the globe:
Think about it, more than 8% of the world helped contribute to the ISS. Imagine what we could achieve if that percentage increased… Exploration of the cosmos has only allowed us to strengthen our ties with other countries. In my rebuttal, to rid of human spaceflight would only cause a bigger dilemma on Earth.
"Space is a waste of money."
Oh yes, I have heard this one before, actually it has been said to me numerous times. I can state the redundant facts like how NASA is only less than 1% of the entire federal budget, or how many technological spin-offs have debut from our space program and benefited the lives of many. I can spew all this information out to try to prove to you the money invested in NASA is well worth it. Yet, something even more powerful than money comes to my mind.
When you look at this picture, what do you conclude: awesome, cool, epic, stunning, amazing…?
Sure, these are all fair emotions, but I think there is one in particular which people tend overlook; a sense of pride. People are in absolute awe when they see this magnificent machine roar skyward. There is this overwhelming feeling consuming the body. The journey, the endeavor, the exploration of the heavens; it excites us, it captivates us, it unites us.
The space program inspires the young minds of tomorrow; in fact, it inspires every age group out there. To disassemble our space program and rid NASA would only be a shame. You want children to be interested in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology – then we need events like these to keep taking place.
Godspeed to Atlantis, the STS-135 crew, and the workforce of NASA.
What do I think? I tend to be optimistic about the first two statements. I have always favored SpaceX to be our new beginning as a space fairing nation. It would broaden our access to low earth orbit and allow time for NASA to recuperate and gain control of its leadership and vision. I am not the one to accuse and point fingers but the truth is there; our failure to construct a new program in exchange of the shuttles is because there was no sincere administration.
Perhaps all the news regarding the final shuttle mission will get the public’s attention. Maybe this transition will get people excited about space again. Yet, there are those who will ignore the warning as they are certain space exploration is a waste of our tax dollars. Let me address these two comments that I have seen across many news websites and message boards (they make my blood boil).
"Why explore when we have our own problems on Earth?"
Since the dawn of our existence, we have had problems. It is in our blood to seek out conflict; we are drawn to it for some bizarre reason. Think about it, how many crime shows do we have on T.V. nowadays? We like to watch Judge Judy, people love to chant “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry”, and we can’t seem to get enough of it. The question all together is bologna (for lack of a better word). Let’s face the real fact: There will and will always be problems on Earth.
People do not seem to understand the architectural feat that humans have just accomplished. The International Space Station, a scientific/research complex built some 200 miles above the Earth , assembled in cooperation of several space agencies around the globe:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Russian Federal Space Agency
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- Canadian Space Agency
- European Space Agency (16 countries total).
Think about it, more than 8% of the world helped contribute to the ISS. Imagine what we could achieve if that percentage increased… Exploration of the cosmos has only allowed us to strengthen our ties with other countries. In my rebuttal, to rid of human spaceflight would only cause a bigger dilemma on Earth.
"Space is a waste of money."
Oh yes, I have heard this one before, actually it has been said to me numerous times. I can state the redundant facts like how NASA is only less than 1% of the entire federal budget, or how many technological spin-offs have debut from our space program and benefited the lives of many. I can spew all this information out to try to prove to you the money invested in NASA is well worth it. Yet, something even more powerful than money comes to my mind.
When you look at this picture, what do you conclude: awesome, cool, epic, stunning, amazing…?
Sure, these are all fair emotions, but I think there is one in particular which people tend overlook; a sense of pride. People are in absolute awe when they see this magnificent machine roar skyward. There is this overwhelming feeling consuming the body. The journey, the endeavor, the exploration of the heavens; it excites us, it captivates us, it unites us.
The space program inspires the young minds of tomorrow; in fact, it inspires every age group out there. To disassemble our space program and rid NASA would only be a shame. You want children to be interested in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology – then we need events like these to keep taking place.
Godspeed to Atlantis, the STS-135 crew, and the workforce of NASA.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
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