There is no grand story of how I came to love outer space. There was no defining moment, no point where I could tell others, “See, this is how I knew who and what I wanted to be.”
But, in middle school, I came across a bulletin board where my classmates listed careers they would love to pursue. One caught my eye: astrophysicist.
I went home, thinking how cool that word sounded, and it became my everything. Love for the universe and the urge to dedicate a life to unlocking mysteries of black holes and quantum mechanics blossomed and have stuck ever since.
When I began this pursuit just a few years ago, opportunities were limited. There wasn’t anything “space-y” in San Antonio, and I grew restless. When I explained I wanted to study physics, some would respond, “Won’t that be too hard?”
This, coupled with almost nonexistent challenging and engaging curricula, made a field already pretty daunting, even more intimidating.
Fortunately, before my eighth-grade summer, my mom learned about an incredible opportunity through the WEX Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides STEM learning based on exciting innovations in space. I joined the foundation’s three-year Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites (LCATS) program. New at the time, LCATS was accepting applications for its cohort of junior NASA contractors, aiming to involve students with the Artemis program and lunar space missions.
My life changed.
Over several months, I was exposed to a variety of fields, had the chance to speak with astronauts, designed, built and launched rockets and high-altitude balloons and networked with brilliant space exploration pioneers. I also realized I was good at it, and I was determined to get better.
LCATS also provided a unique community of students with the same passions as me. The experience nurtured my dream, perhaps not fully formed at first, into something strong, focused and absolute.
Fast forward to today, and I am so happy to see the world of learning experiences that connect young people to futures in aerospace and space science thriving in our community. The prominent and growing connector for many has been AREA 21, presented by the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT). In its second year, the massive space within the Boeing Center at Tech Port has already hosted tens of thousands of students thanks to an array of experiences showcasing industries pioneered across our community.
Among them are prototypes of systems to develop lunar habitation and space-based manufacturing — projects that fellow students and I worked on at LCATS. AREA 21 is also where many related activities have taken place, including a live downlink with the International Space Station and an aerospace workshop I helped conduct.
Earlier this month, I was thrilled to join the unveiling of the new state-of-the-art Boeing Aerospace Adventure exhibit at AREA 21. It’s an amazing set of virtual demonstrations that showcase the company’s work at its large San Antonio site as well as around the world.
What’s especially exciting is how Boeing’s new experience directly connects young people with local industry. Among its many offerings are virtual hands-on engagements in which students can “build” aviation systems and narrations by actual employees from our community in which they share personal stories of their career paths.
Collectively, AREA 21, the WEX Foundation, SAMSAT, Boeing and other partners are growing a welcoming community at Port San Antonio that inspires people of all backgrounds with educational and career futures in advanced technologies. Boeing has opened the doors of opportunities even wider to allow others to follow paths like the one I started back in middle school. It was difficult for me, but I’m glad to see the journey get increasingly easier for a new generation of ambitious students.
My advice is to always realize the power of you — that’s what my journey has reaffirmed for me. The path is not always clear or easy, but trust me, keep trying. Use your environment to stimulate your scientific curiosity. Science is everywhere, and San Antonio is a testament that through hard work, determination and a lot of community support, everyone can play a role.
To students reading this: believe in yourself; no one can do it as well as you. I might sound like I have it figured out, but I have my fair share of obstacles.
And to all the women and people of color who were and are trailblazers in the fields of math, science and engineering, thank you.
