Monthly Archives: March 2013

Jake Rohrig

Jake Rohrig (BSEMA, ’12) has long dreamed of being an astronaut. He knew it was a tough job to get so he studied hard, earned a degree and took a job as a mechanical engineer with UTC Aerospace Systems in Rockford, Illinois. His work designing generators for aircraft keeps him close to all things aerospace and connected to his dream.

Ironically, UTC won’t be sending Rohrig to space anytime soon, but AXE Apollo deodorant body spray just might.

In mid February, AXE launched a contest whereby the two people who collect the most votes by midnight, April 27 will win a trip to AXE Space Camp in Orlando, Florida. The winner will be trained and sent to an altitude of 103 km on a premier flight by Space Expedition Corporation. It’s a chance of a lifetime and a trip easily worth $100,000.

Currently, an Internet celebrity who pulls pranks on his girlfriend is in the lead with more than 50,000 votes. Frankly, this breaks Rohrig’s heart.

“Everyone in this contest, in the top five, are all pretty much Internet celebrities. So for me to be competitive with them at all is kind of amazing to begin with,” Rohrig says. “But I hope to show, that through hard work, dedication and the network of a great alma mater, pretty much anything is possible.”

This, hopefully, is where readers of this blog and friends of Badgers everywhere come in. Supporters of Rohrig can vote here

Currently, he moves in and out of the top ten with about 1,400 votes. Rohrig hopes fellow badgers will use their twitter feeds and social media accounts to vote and spread the word.

Already, through a friend of a friend, Rohrig connected with fellow Badger Logan Cascia, a videographer who created the viral video titled “Teach Me How to Bucky.” The two produced the following promotional video, titled “Badasstronaut.”

So now, it is up to you. Will this hard working Badger engineer get his few minutes in space, or will the prize go to someone who famously tricked his girlfriend into eating a spoonful of cinnamon?