Since he was a child, Samuel Luong wanted to design technology to push the boundaries of space exploration, but it wasn't until he arrived at Georgia Tech that he unearthed a new passion — photography.     

Luong, a master’s aerospace engineering candidate, was attending the Student Center Programs Council’s (SCPC) Take-A-Prof event in 2020 as an undergraduate. When the photographer took a break, he suddenly found himself behind the lens.     

"I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I didn't even know how it worked, but I just started shooting," Luong said. As students and professors ate lunch together, he was captivated by the camera.  

"I ended up sending these photos to them after the event to see their reaction, and it gave me an immense sense of joy to see how excited they were that someone was able to help them capture these memories and help tell their story. After that, I knew I wanted to see what other memories I could capture."     

Luong became the primary photographer for SCPC events and a student worker within Student Engagement and Well-Being. In addition to working with Tech Dining, Stamps Health Services, and the Campus Recreation Center, he photographed significant campus events like the opening of the renovated John Lewis Student Center, the unveiling of the Reck Garage, and several Georgia Tech football games — all won by the Yellow Jackets.     

It's difficult for the Marietta, Georgia, native to choose a favorite event that he's photographed during his undergraduate and master's degree programs, but one location stands out above the rest.  

"Tech Tower has always symbolized that beacon of innovation and service that is Georgia Tech. I've taken my fair share of photos of people in front of the Tech Tower, and it's meant the world to me to capture the emotion as people look at it and light up because of the way it makes them feel that they belong here."   

Luong has often stared at the iconic structure and hoped for the opportunity to sign his name inside the top of the tower, a longstanding tradition among students who have a chance to make it there. Recently, he was able to cross an item off his Georgia Tech bucket list. 

"This is so surreal," Luong said after climbing the stairs and ladders to the top of the tower and looking through the neon letters fixed atop the roof. "I feel like I'm among all the other graduates who have left their mark here and went on to make a difference, which is what I hope to do someday: to create technologies that make the world a better place."  

Working with the Space Systems Design Laboratory in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Luong has helped develop satellites that will launch into orbit and designed exploratory space missions and rockets. While he doesn't see himself traveling to space, he hopes to create solutions for issues faced by astronauts and people on Earth. Specializing in bioastronautics –– studying how technologies can help astronauts survive sustainably — Luong used his time as a master's student to contemplate how to address food insecurity in space and among populations worldwide.  

"If we're able to support a large number of people in space, I'm confident that we can support large communities on Earth, specifically ones that may not have access to commerce or the right climate to grow food," he said.   

Luong will pursue a career developing regenerative life support systems for space, but he plans to continue honing his camera skills as well, including expanding to wedding photography.