Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS Canada) is a student-run organization that provides projects, research opportunities, and professional development opportunities to post-secondary students across Canada. The group host multiple designs and experimental design competitions annually as well as conferences and mentoring workshops for students to develop skills required in the aerospace sector. CAN-RGX is an annual competition hosted by SEDS Canada that provides an opportunity for post-secondary students across Canada to design an experiment and test it in microgravity during a parabolic flight. As an assistant project manager (APM) with the group, I work within the project management (PM) team and act as a liaison between SEDS Canada, participating teams, and external partners including subject matter experts, industry professionals, and other stakeholders. The role encompasses collecting, reviewing, and providing feedback on experimental proposals, design reviews, and other technical documents with the help of subject matter experts. As part of this role, I work within the PM team to provide support to the participating teams to ensure that the teams are successful in flying their experiments. Additionally, the PM team works closely with the teams and external parties in organizing the flight campaign annually where the teams get an opportunity to carry out their experiments in microgravity parabolic flights. My role as APM has provided me with a breadth of management, organizational, and interpersonal skills. As part of the position, I have to regularly communicate with external parties that range from engineers at the Canadian Space Agency and National Research Council of Canada, to catering and event organizers. Furthermore, I am gaining a technical understanding of subjects in diverse backgrounds as part of team-run experiments relating to robotics, biochemistry, life sciences, and material sciences.

In my role as an Engineering Intern at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), I was part of a team developing a novel liquid hydrogen (LH2) propulsion system for aircraft. I was tasked with the development of a cryo-pump concept for application in the aviation industry, specifically designed for the extraction of liquid hydrogen within a fuel-cell-powered propulsion system. This involved not only the conceptualization of the pump but also the creation of a comprehensive and validated mathematical model. Furthermore, my responsibilities extended to conducting extensive literature research on hydrogen-based propulsion systems within the space sector, contributing to an understanding of the existing technologies and utilizing the existing literature to inform LH2 system architecture design.In terms of technical skills, I gained expertise in modeling and simulations, showcasing proficiency in translating theoretical concepts into practical applications. Thorough literature research provided me with a comprehensive understanding of technological landscapes and contributed to informed decision-making. Additionally, my involvement in system design has equipped me with the ability to design and optimize complex engineering solutions. On the non-technical front, spending four months working in a German-speaking environment not only enhanced my language skills but also exposed me to a new cultural setting. This experience broadened my perspective and provided valuable insights into collaborating with engineers from diverse backgrounds. Being an effective communicator was a key aspect of my role, especially when working within interdisciplinary teams. My ability to convey complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner has facilitated collaboration and ensured successful outcomes in tasks with varied disciplines.

As a trainer, I act as a mentor to the users of the makerspace by leading training sessions on a wide variety of equipment available at the garage. The position involves a thorough understanding of and ability to effectively communicate the safety controls, purpose, workflow, and operations of various equipment to the users. Additionally, I support the makers on various projects that they are working on. I actively take part in discussions and projects to improve training programs, usability, and safety of the makerspace. As part of this position, I am gaining operational knowledge on a wide variety of equipment available at the makerspace (link below). I can safely operate, troubleshoot, and train individuals at these. Additionally, a key part of the job involves a reflective listening of the concerns of users, being enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge, and a proven ability to effectively communicate to individuals of diverse backgrounds, thus enabling me to develop strong interpersonal skills.

Sinclair Interplanetary is a subsidiary of Rocket Lab that designs, develops, and builds reaction wheels and star trackers for small satellite missions. As an Engineering Intern at Sinclair Interplanetary by Rocket Lab, I work within the production team assisting in the assembly, integration, and testing of reaction wheels offered by the company. This includes verifying the magnetic performance of the reaction wheels and characterizing the reaction wheel's micro-vibrations using a Multicomponent Force Dynamometer to determine rotor imbalance in the reaction wheel. Additionally, I also test the wheel on a Laser Doppler Vibrometer to verify the results obtained during dynamometer testing. The role also involves assisting the engineering team by studying and improving the mechanical design of reaction wheel assembly. The position has allowed me to further improve my hardware assembly and testing skills. As part of this position, I am gaining an in-depth understanding of various tests used to characterize and verify micro-vibrations, providing me with the theoretical basis behind developing such tests.

As part of the ADCS team, I undertook comprehensive research to understand and learn ADCS simulation software and related theory with the aim of carrying out such simulations for Ex-Alta 2 to verify system compliance and data logging. In this role, I conducted thorough system-level testing of the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) unit, encompassing both component testing and validation of in-house developed software functionality. This involved assessments to ensure the integration of the ADCS unit into the broader system architecture. Additionally, I played a crucial role in testing the functionality of in-house developed software in the ADCS unit, requiring an understanding of software-hardware interactions. This hands-on experience not only honed my skills in quality assurance and risk mitigation but also deepened my comprehension of software integration within complex aerospace systems.As part of this team, I have shown enthusiasm and willingness to learn beyond what is assigned to me. As such, I was also involved in orbital operations of York University's DECENT satellite, frequently operating an antenna to communicate with the satellite from the University of Alberta ground station.

AlbertaSat, a student's project group at the University of Alberta, is a group of over 80 members developing Ex-Alta 2, Alberta's second satellite. As part of this position, I worked on the manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing of Ex-Alta 2. I was directly responsible for planning and implementing the assembly of three satellites built by the group: Ex-Alta 2, YukonSat, and AuroraSat. This included writing a detailed assembly plan that encompassed all the details of a system-level assembly including: • determining detailed steps of integration of satellite subsystems,• determining procedures required for satellite integration such as epoxy and Loctite application process,• establishing satellite harness (wire) integration by preparing a detailed document stating the harness, connections, routing, and lengths, • working on determining torque specifications for satellite, and • troubleshooting and fine-tuning the assembly process during a system-level fit check.Additionally, the role encompassed assembly of flight hardware and well as testing setup, manufacturing of flight components, testing and integration of some of the satellite subsystems, and testing of satellite flight model hardware. I was involved in software testing of the satellite ADCS unit and worked closely with other team members in debugging the ADCS subsystem software. I also worked on troubleshooting the thermal-vacuum chamber required for satellite testing and worked with other members on establishing the thermal-vacuum testing procedure for the satellite. These duties allowed me to further my interpersonal and communication skills by providing me with an opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary setting where I had to closely work with individuals from different subsystems and with diverse backgrounds.

Wyvern is a rapidly growing Edmonton, Alberta-based startup that delivers hyperspectral satellite imaging to its customers. As a mechanical engineering intern, my primary role involved designing, prototyping, testing, and modifying mechanical mechanisms that will be employed in satellite imagining. The position encompassed familiarity with a variety of optical instruments, the ability to perform optical testing, and understanding subsequent test results. Additionally, I also designed mechanisms that will be used in CubeSats for satellite imagining. I got an in-depth understanding of optomechanical systems while designing and testing components to specified optical tolerance. I also gained knowledge about various CubeSat sub-systems and worked on analyzing, verifying, reassessing, and redefining system requirements for some of these sub-systems. As a part of this position, I developed comprehensive skills that are required to characterize and communicate technical designs. Working within a startup involved close communication with individuals from diverse backgrounds, thus enabling me to develop strong interpersonal skills. I further improved on my skills to operate safely and effectively in a lab setting and carry out experiments to verify the efficacy of designed mechanisms.

In a 4-month project for Facilities and Operations, my primary role was to verify the adherence of Fume Hoods in labs across UofA campus to the ANSI/ASHRAE 110-2016 standard (as required by the fire code). The duties involved were: conducting various tests on fume hoods, calibrating tested results against standard value, visual inspection of fume hood, and determining the functionality of the fume hood. Additionally, I developed relevant skills that necessary to work in a lab setting such as: • ability to study, understand and implement health and safety procedures,• ability to work with minimum supervision,• competency at maintaining and calibrating technical equipment, and • time management skills to finish tasks within specified time.After the fume hood testing program (which finished 6-weeks early), me along with three fume hood testing team-members were tasked with researching, measuring and recording data for the ventilation rates and filtration levels for the buildings across the UofA campuses. This involved reviewing technical manuals, drawings and specifications of air handling units in buildings across the UofA campuses and compiling it into a report. The report was published for the UofA community to understand filtration levels and air circulation systems in their buildings. The position allowed to me gain in-depth understanding of mechanical operations of building ventilation systems as well as ability to review and understand technical drawings. Due the constantly changing nature of our assigned task, I demonstrated an ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and deliver an effective product.

In this role, I directly supervised and led a team of 20 members. As a supervisor with Wendy's restaurant, I built and improved my leadership skills, often employing a coaching style of leadership to assist in personal and professional development of my team members, ultimately aligning their individual goals and skills towards success of the organization. Additionally, I carried out accounting and administrative duties including weekly sales projection, labor costing, scheduling employees monitoring store inventory and food costs, and ordering stock and supplies for the store. I was closely involved in screening, interviewing, hiring and onboarding new members to the store. During my 4-years in this position, the store received excellent results in annual store inspections each year.

As a Food Service Staff, I provided exceptional customer service to more than 200 customers daily. I regularly assisted in kitchen operations on grill and frying stations. I demonstrated leadership and initiative in this positions earned me a promotion within 6-months of employment.