Justin Rula, a 2024 graduate of Mountain Home High School, has achieved significant academic and extracurricular success at the University of Oklahoma. Currently a junior in OU’s Gallogly College of Engineering, Rula is studying industrial and systems engineering and ranks first in his class.
Rula, who is also a midshipman in the university’s Naval ROTC program, will be interning this summer with Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas. The internship will focus on quality engineering for the company, which manufactures Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft.
In his ROTC role, Rula serves as the unit’s S-4 supply officer and drill team commander. He also takes part in the Navy and Marine Corps Birthday Ball committee. One of his recent responsibilities included participating in the opening ceremony for the unit’s annual Run to Dallas, where midshipmen relay a game ball to the OU-Texas football game. Rula gave live interviews to two Oklahoma City television stations during the event. His long-term goal within ROTC is to serve as battalion commander during his senior year.
Rula’s achievements extend beyond his university roles. He volunteers as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and is pursuing his degree on a Navy ROTC scholarship, as well as an aviation career scholarship awarded by the Leading Edge Aviation Foundation, a nonprofit based in Mountain Home. The foundation provides renewable scholarships to Mountain Home High School graduates who are pursuing aviations-related careers.
The foundation's scholarships are funded by sources including the Fulton Family Trust and the Corson Foundation, although the scholarship recipient selection process is independent of these organizations. Rula’s aviation scholarship supports his goal to graduate in 2028.
This summer, Rula will balance his academic record and demanding schedule with the opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience through the Textron internship, marking the next step in his already promising career path.