Last year we launched our Stars in orbit first cohort of students. Over the past year+ we’ve had the privilege of working with these Higher Orbits stellar students for additional opportunities.
Here’s the info for last year’s cohort of students.
https://higherorbits.org/stars-in-orbit/
These students have had incredible sessions with various mentors, attended conferences with us and more!
Now it’s time to announce the 2026 cohort of Stars in Orbit! We’ve made a minor change to what was initially planned last year. We have decided that Stars in Orbit will be reserved for those who have graduated from high school but have continued to stay engaged with us. This is a way for them to continue their Higher Orbits journey after they are. No longer eligible for Go For Launch!
The students who are selected as this year’s cohort, will join last year’s cohort. Year to year students who have previously been part of Stars in Orbit, will stay Stars in Orbit. The overall cohort will just continue to grow! This year’s cohort is smaller than last year’s since we selected so many in the inaugural year.
Let me introduce you to the 2nd Cosmic Cohort of Stars in Orbit!
Zahra Ali
Our orbit crossed with Zahra at Go For Launch! Phoenix 2023 where her team earned the the title of Experiment Design Winners for that event. They then went on to win that entire Series
Zahra will graduate this December 2026, with a Bachelor’s from ASU in Information Technology, focused on Cybersecurity. She will begin her Master’s at ASU in Information Systems Management with a track in Marketing in 2027.
Zahra shares, “Since 2023, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of everything space, and I am forever grateful to Higher Orbits for igniting that. I have been able to expand my network in the space industry and meet so many talented SpaceKids! I have been able to witness a launch, speak on a panel at ASCEND, participate in Arizona Space Congress, attend the 10th Anniversary Alumni Reunion, and be selected to be a part of an upcoming international trip with some Higher Orbits family! The connections made are priceless, and the doors of opportunity continue to open. Most importantly, Higher Orbits helped me discover and pursue a passion I would not have had the confidence to do otherwise.”
Maisy Alsen
In 2018 and 2019 Maisy attended Go For Launch! in Gilbert, AZ and that is how she came to be part of our orbit. She had a blast with us at Higher Orbits Space Prom in 2020 and was part of our Hub Panel at AIAA ASCEND in 2025. Maisey earned her Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Propulsion and minors in Aviation Safety and Mathematics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. She recently celebrated her first year as an Engineer I - Project Officer at JT4.
Maisy shares some thoughts on her Higher Orbits experiences.... “It's difficult to put into words just how much Higher Orbits has influenced my life. I can genuinely say that my educational and professional journey would look very different without it.
Through Higher Orbits, I first discovered Embry-Riddle, which ultimately helped shape my educational path and launch my engineering career. But the impact went far beyond discovering a university. Higher Orbits opened my eyes to an entire world of possibilities I hadn't fully imagined. Meeting aerospace professionals, learning about their work, and seeing the incredible things being accomplished in space transformed what once seemed like a distant dream into something I could actually pursue.
Just as importantly, I found a community of like-minded people who shared my curiosity and passion for space. Being surrounded by individuals who encouraged me to ask questions, dream bigger, and challenge myself gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities I might otherwise have overlooked.”
Mackenzie Baxter
It was in Rocket City (Huntsville, AL) that Mackenzie launched into our universe. Mackenzie attended Go For Launch! in Madison/Huntsville in 2023 and 2024. And we were over the moon that she was able to join us for the Alumni Rendezvous and Symposium this summer! Mackenzie is working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Cancer Biology at the University of Birmingham.
From Mackenzie –
“Higher Orbits has positively impacted my STEM and Space Journey in so many ways. From the connections I have made through Go For Launch! and the Alumni Rendezvous, to the various opportunities in space these events opened my eyes to, it has been very inspiring. Even years later, I still keep up with every Higher Orbits email and post, as well as stay in contact with members from my events. Without Higher Orbits, I wouldn't have as much passion for space, and I am so glad to know there are more unconventional avenues to working in the space industry.”
Logan Cook
Our trajectory truly intersected with Logan’s in Wadsworth, OH (hometown of Astronaut Mike Foreman) in 2017. We’ve had the pleasure of Logan supporting Go For Launch! Columbus last year and he also attended the Higher Orbits Alumni Rendezvous and Student Symposium this summer. Logan has begun his third year as a chemical engineering student at The Ohio State University. His interest, and most of his current work, is in biomolecular engineering.
Logan shares these words about how Higher Orbits has impacted him….
“Higher Orbits has been part of my journey for almost 10 years now, and I can truly say that it gave me the inspiration I needed to pursue my dreams in STEM. My first Go For Launch! in 2017 and attending Space Camp on a Higher Orbits scholarship in 2019 showed me that space was a goal I could actually achieve. They were defining moments for my younger self. Recently, as I found strong interests in the life sciences and moved a bit away from space, Higher Orbits reentered my life and showed me that those two interests don't have to be separate. Combining space and biology is a goal I can actually achieve. Even in the years I moved away from space toward biology, the influence of Higher Orbits never left. At 12 years old, it showed me that I could pursue and achieve anything I set my mind to; now, at 20 years old, it still inspires me the same way.”
Victoria “Tori” DeWitt
We met Tori, in person, one mile closer to space at the Colorado Air & Space Port at Go For Launch! in 2025. Her team, Demeter’s Discovery, won this event and won the overall 2025 Series. They will have their experiment launched to the International Space Station in 2027. Tori is currently attending the University if Colorado Boulder where she is studying Aerospace Engineering.
Tori shares about her Higher Orbits experiences…
“When I walked into the Colorado Air and Space Port on the first day of Go For Launch!, I had no idea what I wanted to do for my career. I knew I was interested in STEM, but I really had no direction. Between the looming pressure of applying to college and the ever present question of “what do you want to do when you grow up?” I felt anxious about figuring it out. All of that changed when I joined Higher Orbits. The environment was an intersection between leadership, engineering, and space. I was surrounded by other high schoolers who shared my fascination with science, as well as experienced aerospace professionals who guided us. At the camp, I met an astronaut, the founder of Sierra Space, a mission controller, a satellite operator, and a military commander. I realized that my interest in science, especially in space, was more than a hobby, it was a calling I could see myself pursuing as a career. Not only did I get to network with professionals and youth who shared my interests, but I also got the opportunity to design a winning experiment. My team of four created an experiment that tests the suitability of a moss, Syntrichia caninervis, in microgravity. Recent research suggested that the plant could survive on the surface of Mars while being completely exposed. We designed an experiment to test how microgravity, launch forces, and reentry stress affect the plant’s oxygen production. On February 12, 2026, our team found out that our experiment would be launching to the International Space Station. Learning that our experiment had been selected for launch was one of the most defining moments of my academic journey. I am so grateful to be a part of this organization that has given me community with other space kids, networking opportunities, guidance, and inspiration. I am so grateful for the professional networking opportunities, conferences, and resources that Higher Orbits has provided. Through this experience, I discovered not only a passion for space exploration, but also a clear sense of calling for my career."
Jordan Kalisher
Orbital intersection with Jordan happened Durham, North Carolina over the course of numerous events in 2018 & 2019. We’ve been fortunate to have Jordan attend AIAA Sci-Tech with us in January of this year where he had the opportunity to reconnect with students from our programs. In August Jordan graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a focus of Spacecraft Design from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.
Jordan speaks of his Higher Orbits experience –
“Higher Orbits helped me focus my general interest in STEM into a singular direction. Before attending Go For Launch!, the aerospace industry was some far off, almost fictional idea to me. After meeting, talking to, and learning from the engineers, astronauts, and all the other amazing people at Higher Orbits events, what once felt far off and unachievable suddenly became a reality I could build towards.”
These are some of our out of this world outstanding current and future STEMists, Explorers, and Leaders. It’s my privilege and pleasure to work with all of them. We will be working with various awesome humans in industry to share new opportunities with these students and you can bet you’ll see many of them at conferences and events with us. Want to get more involved? Let me know! You know we love to collaborate for opportunities to support our students.
And I hope you will all join me in giving a big BRAVO to all of these Stars in Orbit!
Space Inspires!
Written By Michelle Lucas
