[DonRotolo]

A true Aluminum MIG welder is far easier to master than TIG. In any case, welding aluminum is nothing like welding steel, so the statement "Someone who knows how to weld aluminum" is a good one. (In all fairness, we don't use welding much, so this is not a requirement)

The design part is far more important than the paper makes it out to be. You can have a mediocre design perfectly executed, it'll probably not be competitive, while an excellent design executed mediocre-ly(!) can win a regional. Rather than "good at Design" I'd state "good at the engineering design process".

Mentors are the key to excellent teams. The average student is just as capable as the rare excellent student, if someone shows them how & what they need to do. A few excellent mentors can teach average students excellent skills. And not just in fabrication, but in how to live.

All in all a very good start, keep at it.