From the Deutsche Schule Medellín (German School of Medellín) to aerospace engineering in Europe: Julián’s story.
At the age of fifteen, Julián Bustamante Angarita built his first rocket. He did so patiently, following instructions, adjusting parts, trying to understand how something he had built with his own hands could take off. It didn’t work. The rocket didn’t fly as he had hoped and ended up crashing. Even so, he kept trying. He had already decided he wanted to be an engineer because he was interested in challenges, tackling difficult problems, experimenting and seeing what happened.
From school to university: a foundation that makes all the difference.
When he moved on to university, he chose to study Aeronautical Engineering at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. It was there that the intuition he had carried with him from secondary school began to take shape. What was new to many of his classmates was no longer quite so new to him. Thanks to the Deutsche Schule Medellín (German School of Medellín), he had already studied differential calculus and worked through algebra, even some topics in integral calculus were familiar to him. Whilst others were trying to grasp the material from scratch, he felt as though he were simply revising.
That advantage wasn’t solely academic. It also manifested in less obvious ways: writing a report, structuring an idea, drafting a clear email. For a long time, he thought that wouldn’t be of any use to him as an engineer. Today, it’s part of his daily work.
Much of that stemmed from his time at the Deutsche Schule Medellín (German School of Medellín), a leading international school in Medellín, where academic rigour is combined with the development of critical thinking and communication in several languages.
Learning to think: from the scientific method to research
There was another foundation that had been laid even earlier. Through the ‘Little Scientists’ programme, he had been introduced to the scientific method and had learnt to formulate a hypothesis, test it, and check whether it worked. Years later, when he began conducting research at university, that way of thinking resurfaced as a working method. It was there that he also began to forge his path in rocketry. Together with others, he founded one of the first high-power rocketry research groups in Colombia. They designed, built and tested a rocket. That process led him to become certified by the Tripoli Rocketry Association, making him one of the few Colombians to achieve this.
Languages and a global mindset: the benefits of an international education
There was one area where he really stood out, and that was his command of languages. Whilst many of his classmates were just beginning to get to grips with English, he was already fluent in three languages: Spanish, German and English. He left school with an advanced level, and above all, the ability to adapt to different contexts. That trilingual education — typical of a multilingual school in Medellín — ended up being key to his career path.
From intern to propulsion engineer in Europe
When he applied for a job at Rocket Factory Augsburg, a company that develops rockets in Europe, one of the first questions was whether he needed a visa. The answer was yes, but this wasn’t a new problem. He had already been through the process before.
He knew what to do, what documents he needed, and how to respond. At key moments, the University even stepped in again, supporting him through its network and its International Affairs office.
He started out as an intern and over time became a propulsion engineer. Today he works on developing rocket engines, in an environment where every detail counts and where teamwork is crucial. His day-to-day work is not as far removed as it might seem. It’s about making things work, testing, adjusting, and trying again. About working with others, so that everything fits together.
What Endures Over Time
Amidst all that, one idea gradually shifted for a long time, he thought that being an engineer meant mastering mathematics. Later, he realised that it also has to do with perseverance, with learning to solve problems and not giving up when things don’t go to plan. It is something that is learnt and built up over time, and in which his family, university and school play a vital role.
When he looks back, there isn’t just one single moment that explains where he is today. There were many stages. The first rocket that didn’t fly, the lessons that didn’t seem important at the time, the International Baccalaureate reports, the languages, the academic trips, the projects that took time... All of that added up.
Where stories begin
Stories like Julián’s don’t begin in Germany or at an aerospace company. They begin much earlier, in small decisions, in lessons and in extracurricular activities.
If you are looking for a school in Medellín that supports this process from the very start, offering an international multilingual education with a global outlook. You can find out more about the Deutsche Schule Medellín and its admissions process here
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