I interned in the Human Health and Performance Lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center, supporting the EVA & Environmental Physiology Laboratory (EEPL) and Exercise Physiology Countermeasures (EPC). I contributed to projects related to model development for the prediction of astronaut health during a lunar EVA, as well as the creation of fitness assessments to help inform astronaut training protocols and fitness standards.

As the Project Manager for NASA SLI, I was responsible for managing critical subteams (structures, avionics, and payload) in order to facilitate the project's development. I worked alongside two Deputy Project Managers, the three Subteam Leads, our Safety Officer, and their respective team members. Our team consisted of approximately 35 undergraduate students. Our objective was to design and construct a high-powered competition rocket with a mission-specific payload, such as involving a camera-lander system operating on radio frequency signals. Throughout the project cycle, we successfully completed a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Flight Readiness Review, Launch Readiness Review, and four total launches. We competed with our full scale competition rockets at the NASA Student Launch competition in Huntsville, AL.

I served as the lead for the structures sub team, responsible for constructing our rocket's structural components including body tubes, nose cones, and fins. I led a team of approximately 10 people during weekly meetings and collaborated with BSLI's leadership team to complete competition requirements for the NASA Student Launch Competition.We construct most vehicle components using fiberglass wraps laid up onto an aluminum mandrel, and cured with an epoxy mixture. The components are then removed from the mandrel and sanded as necessary.

I helped organize events to involve BSLI members in community STEM engagement. One of these events included volunteering at the Center of Science and Industry to assemble science experiment kits to send to students during quarantine.

I learned the methodology of model-based systems engineering through KBR's National Security Solutions Division. I incorporated system design features, requirements, analyses, and validation methods into condensed models in order to increase project design efficiency. A few of my projects included modeling an EVA suit's Portable Life Support System (PLSS) for next-generation space suit development, as well as a reference architecture for small satellite mission planning. I presented the outcomes of my projects at various seminars, including a Systems Engineering Academy held accross KBR.

I interned in the Collins Aerospace Landing Systems division. I worked with customer support engineers and the new product development group to initiate tests/inspections for regional and business jet aircraft. I learned about aircraft wheels and brakes and gained experience solving real-world problems with a team of experienced engineers.

During my summer at Space Camp, I mentored a new team of students each week throughout a mock-astronaut training program. As a Crew Trainer, I was responsible for teaching the trainees about the history of space exploration, the basics of rocketry, current events happening in the aerospace industry, etc. It was great to return to camp after having attended Advanced Space Academy in high school.