As I enter my last semester of college as an aerospace engineering student and past Go For Launch! attendee, I am so grateful to be able to attend this years SciTech conference with Higher Orbits and have one last opportunity to share my story with the aerospace community.
I am fortunate to say that I have been involved with Higher Orbits since my freshman year of high school in 2017 when my team, the Saguaro Snakes, and I had our experiment sent to the International Space Station on one of Orbital ATK’s resupply missions. Seeing the Antares rocket take off the launch pad with my experiment inside was a once in a lifetime opportunity that little 15-year-old me wouldn’t quite grasp for some time after. I continued to attend my local Go For Launch! events in Arizona for the next three years of high school and volunteered my time to be a student ambassador for Higher Orbits and advocate for STEM outreach and getting young students involved.
Throughout my time as a high school student and as a returning flyer with Go For Launch! I was selected as the inaugural Space Camp scholarship recipient and even had the privilege to travel to Australia to attend the International School of Science. All these opportunities were made possible thanks to my involvement with this amazing non-profit, and when the time came to pick a college major, all signs pointed to aerospace engineering.
Throughout my time in college, I have remained a student ambassador for Higher Orbits and have continued to pursue my passion for public outreach and advocating for the importance of STEM. I have been sharing content online consistently since 2020 and cannot wait to share my experience at SciTech next week with those following along with my journey as a young woman in aerospace.
These past years with Higher Orbits have been full of unforgettable memories. From speaking on NASA tv to advocating for NASA in our Nation’s capital and even attending my first rocket launch, this organization is one that leaves lasting impacts on its participants and sparks a love and passion for STEM. The spark that was lit in me 7 years ago has followed me every day in my young adult life and has allowed me to pursue my passions in engineering and find my place in the world.
While my time as a student is rapidly coming to an end, I am fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend one last AIAA conference to share my aerospace journey with others before entering the work force. While some things in my life are going to change after I walk across my university’s stage in May, one thing will remail the same, the simple fact that I would not be where I am today if it were not for Higher Orbits and the love they pour into their students.
Written by Stellar Student Abi Youngker
