Leia, Mallory, and Sophia at their first Go For Launch! Event in Deerfield, IL in 2017
I still remember walking into my first Go For Launch! In Deerfield, Illinois in 2017. I was terrified. I had no idea who I might meet or what I would do. My mom had said I needed something to keep me busy over the summer, so I entertained her attempt to find something, anything, that might spark my interest. As I look back, I can't help but laugh at my initial skepticism—I owe my mom a massive apology. Underestimating the profound impact those few days would have on me was the understatement of the century.
Above is a picture of me at my first event. Looking back at this picture, I am struck by how different I have become. I have become different in that I have had a network of people feed courage and support into the parts of me I thought I was supposed to suppress. I have been encouraged to embrace the nerdy (and oftentimes awkward) parts of who I am. At this time, I could hardly introduce myself to the room without fumbling over my words. I have learned that these growing pains are okay. Not having the same interests as your friends is okay. Struggling to find a true connection with your high school peers is okay. To feel like you stick out like a sore thumb is okay. It’s all part of the journey.
Now, seven years later, I am a junior studying aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, something I would certainly not have had the ambition to pursue had I not met Michelle Lucas or any of the other people who have graciously donated their professional expertise to Higher Orbits and the Go For Launch! events. I have traveled to the International Science School in Sydney, Australia, witnessed the experiment my team designed launch to the International Space Station, and attended the International Astronautical Congress, where I got to meet some of the inspiring scientists I looked up to in my childhood.
Leia and Mom, Kati Spaniak, Volunteer at Higher Orbits Golf Outing at Grand Geneva, 2023
In January 2024, I will be speaking alongside some other wonderful and bright students who have used their experiences with Higher Orbits to excel in their own, personal journeys, however different they may be. Having the opportunity to attend AIAA SciTech, not once, but twice with Higher Orbits, and being allowed to share my experience is something I do not take for granted. The expanding network of students I have met worldwide over the last seven years is a blessing and something I want every struggling, nerdy, out-of-place teenager to experience. In attending SciTech, I look forward to learning about the advancements in aviation and aerospace. I look forward to connecting with the other students who faced adversity in their own journeys to end up in the same place I am. I’m excited to share what I will learn following the event and meet all those attending!
Written By – Leia Spaniak
