SEDS Forums

Ajoy Savio Fernandes
Chapter: Illinois Space Society (University of Illinois)
Running for: Vice Chairman and/or Director of Finances

I am Ajoy Fernandes, currently a third year student pursing a double degree in Aerospace Engineering and Psychology with a minor in Technology and Management. I am doing a five-year plan. My passion for space ignited when I was younger, and evolved as I started thinking of space in a more philosophical manner. I am striving to leave a mark in the future of space development, at the right time.

In my last two years I’ve taken officer positions in the Illinois Space Society, SEDS-USA, the Space Vision planning committee and AIAA-UIUC, and have gained experience from the aggregation of all four organizations.

I served as the Vice-Chairman of SEDS-USA last year and at the same time contributed to the planning and management of Space Vision 2010. My primary goals as the term kicked on previously were to 1) get a feel for the board’s culture and decision making process, 2) help in the planning of a successful Space Vision 2010, 3) raise a decent sum of money in the endowment and 4) to potentially contribute to developing and interconnecting SEDS in a more global (international) perspective.

For the coming term, if elected, my primary goals are to assist the chair where needed, and go full force on the endowment. Yet I will help out wherever needed as the occasion arises.

The Endowment has been a work in progress. Yet progress has been slow. It takes time to learn the process and time to follow through. My first two months as SEDS Vice-Chairman were a rush to completely understand the process and gain past contacts. We next selected a target individual for the endowment, created documents and attempted to get in contact. However we did not receive a response and this attempt has not completed. The entire process took four months, and has died out, with us waiting for the right time to reattempt this strategy.

Later on I started culminating corporate contacts and personal contacts of my own, and towards the start of September attempted to come up with new ideas with how to raise money for the endowment. I came upon new ideas through some of my experience with gaining sponsors in Space Vision, and understand that such knowledge to an extent can be reapplied into seeking donations for the endowment.

Very recently I’ve been trying to draft a new Endowment package with additional benefits to sponsors, which will be discussed at Space Vision. This new packet is planned to be released two weeks after SEDS elections, considering that the board agrees with the options. I wish all the best for this effort.

Secondly, as I will be taking classes on accounting and finances, I offer to help with the SEDS finances. I believe that this is something that could be worked upon, and I feel that I can contribute to help out.

Even though progress has been slow in the past, I still am confident that we will attain our endowment goals. I will do my best, given my available time to try and make this difference either as Vice-Chairman or director of finances, or both.

Very recently I’ve been trying to draft a new Endowment package with additional benefits to sponsors, which will be discussed at Space Vision. This new packet is planned to be released two weeks after SEDS elections, considering that the board agrees with the options. I wish all the best for this effort.