November 14, 2023
By Audrey Brown | Show me Mizzou
Being a Tiger was always Colombia native Landon Toler’s destiny, but he didn’t realize it at first. As a freshman, Toler avoided engineering for fear it would be too difficult, but quickly discovered that what he feared was also what he enjoyed most. After transferring to the University of Missouri during his sophomore year, Toler found comfort in the familiar culture of the university and eventually pursued a major that he was truly passionate about.
Read on for a Q&A with Toler about his Mizzou experience.
Why are you transferring to Mizzou?
About a year into college, I realized that the major I had chosen just didn’t interest me. I’m someone who struggles to succeed in things I’m not interested in, so I figured I’d pick a new major that excited me. Unfortunately, my previous university did not have an engineering program, but since I grew up in a Tiger and had many Mizzou alumni in my family, the University of Missouri was the obvious choice. Once I arrived and experienced the activities and traditions of the College of Engineering student organization, I knew I was in the right place.
Did you experience a decisive moment in choosing your specialization?
I’ve always loved engineering, but it’s an intimidating field – which is one of the reasons I initially avoided it at university. My passion for it dates back to fifth grade when I did a capstone project and presentation on the physics behind NASCAR – covering how cars are built, how they stay on the track, aerodynamics, engines and machines. Today, I still explore related topics through my major in mechanical engineering and minors in aerospace engineering and astronomy.
How did you get involved on campus?
Involvement in student organizations has been a large part of my time at Mizzou. When I arrived at Mizzou, my girlfriend—now fiancée—and I agreed that we would both go to two student organization meetings for at least a month. I became involved with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Mizzou Racing Formula SAE team, two organizations that helped me make new friends and study partners.
I ended up starting my own club, Mizzou AeroTigers, with former ASME President. The club participates in aeronautical design competitions. Currently, we are the only aviation design team here at Mizzou, and we are really excited to start next year to continue to improve.
How has AeroTigers paved the way for you and other students to work in the aerospace industry?
Practical industry experience is really important. Spending an entire year working on design and proposal, preliminary design, detailed design, testing and prototyping before actual performance where we compete to prove that our product can meet the mission requirements seems incredible to potential employers. It is important for students entering similar careers, especially in aviation, to understand these processes and work as a team to achieve a design goal for an entire year. Many of our members have interned and now work full-time with major aerospace companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Textron, Spirit, Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin.
Which people at Mizzou have been a good resource for you?
Dr. Craig Kluever was fantastic. He is director of undergraduate studies at Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is an educational advisor for AeroTigers and is very knowledgeable, has industry experience and teaches courses specifically on aerodynamics, aircraft, flight performance and aircraft design. Many of these courses relate directly to the work we do in our club. His help has been incredible for our organization.
Find your future at Mizzou Engineering. Apply today!
This story was originally published on Show me Mizzou.
