Hello! My name is Victoria DeWitt and I am currently studying aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. When I walked into the Colorado Air and Space Port on the first day of Go For Launch! my junior year of high school, 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. Through this experience, I discovered not only a passion for space exploration, but also a clear sense of calling for my career.
Not only did Higher Orbits provide a sense of direction for me in my career, but also has provided me with some incredible opportunities to network in the aerospace field. One of those opportunities I am so blessed to get to be a part of is the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium. I will be attending this conference alongside fellow space kid, Eva Estrada. Something I’m looking forward to at the conference is getting the opportunity to listen to the Artemis III panel, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson discuss being flight director of Artemis II, and the panel discuss nuclear energy in space exploration. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent Higher Orbits at the von Braun Symposium.
Written by Victoria DeWitt