I had the pleasure of being on a virtual panel for women in space organized by the Ohio State University Department of Astronomy for students interested in astronomy, aerospace, and space science careers.
The panelists were a diverse group of accomplished women in all parts of the space industry: Victoria Garcia (Deaf NASA Systems Engineer), Sharon McDougle (NASA Crew Escape Equipment Manager & Crew Chief, and modern-day Hidden Figure), Caprice Phillips (OSU Astronomy PhD student), Belinda Cheeseboro (WVU Physics PhD student), Yvette Gonzalez (Director of Business Development, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences), Romy Rodriguez Martinez (OSU Astronomy PhD student), and Amy Sardone (NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at OSU Astronomy).
We spoke to two groups, elementary students and middle school/high school students for schools across the United States with special focus on inspiring students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. It was wonderful listening to the other panelists and learning their stories. Over 500 students showed up to the talk!
The students were excited about the future of human exploration, planets beyond our solar system, and what would happen if you go into a black hole. The experts on our panel on astronaut spacesuits and astronomy answered many curious questions. I put on my planetary science hat and answered questions about Mars and gravity.
When asked about our tips for students at the end of the panel, we had similar answers: work and study hard, find mentors and teammates who will support you, there are many paths to space (and some don't even need a college degree), and know that it's going to be tough so you must persevere! These women on the panel are a testament to how you can succeed.
Thank you to Anna Voelker for inviting me to participate in the panel, to Anna and Amy for organizing and moderating the event, and to the live captioner, ASL interpreters, and technician for all their work to make the event run smoothly.
Pictured: Panelists, moderator, and interpreter for the Women in Space event.