Reach for Stars Started Here
The fingerprints of Butler Catholic School alumni spread across the nation in a variety of fields, but one group reaches for the stars.
Joe Caparosa Jr., a Butler Catholic graduate, works for SpaceX, a private U.S. aerospace manufacturer.
After graduating from Butler High School in 2009, he attended Penn State University for mechanical engineering.
But he discovered an inclination long before college.
Between working on cars with his father and tinkering with projects at Butler Catholic, he found his passion.
“Eighth grade, I did my graduation project. I kind of did mine on the automotive industry,” he said. “I was always interested in cars and taking things apart and putting them back together.”
Caparosa always assumed he would try to stay local, and even interned with Westinghouse one summer during college.
But while attending Penn State, he got involved with a Formula Student USA team, and helped work on a race car all four years of college.
“I got involved with this team and probably spent a full-time job's worth of time each week, building this open-wheeled race car,” Caparosa said.
Through a fellow team member, SpaceX sponsored the race car, and through his interactions with the company as a sponsor, he became intrigued.
He interviewed and secured an internship in the fall of 2012.
“It was a real hands-on, get yourself kind of dirty type of place,” Caparosa said. “I would work on various projects and such, and was doing real design work.”
During his senior year, he had two offers — one from Westinghouse and another from SpaceX.
He started with SpaceX in Los Angeles as a structural engineer, and six years later is now managing other structural engineers.
Caparosa works on parts of the space shuttle that break apart after launch.
“I am definitely proud to be a part of the different programs that I've been involved with,” he said. “I enjoy what I do pretty thoroughly.”
Caparosa said his becoming involved in the space program was a long journey, but it all started at Butler Catholic, where he felt pushed and supported.
“I definitely feel like I can attribute my success to my time at Butler Catholic,” he said. “It definitely gave me a good foundation and drive and compass.”
He said whenever he returns to Butler, he is looking for a different kind of space.
“It's just a little slower pace than L.A., and there's greenery,” Caparosa said. “I trade the 10-minute drive to the beach for the trees and the space.”
Caparosa is the son of Butler residents Joe Caparosa Sr. and federal Judge Marilyn Horan.
