I can’t believe the number of opportunities I have received so far this year. It isn’t even February, and I have already traveled to two professional development events, and even moved into our own apartment! If you love all things aerospace and satellites, and are looking to learn about new opportunities, then this blog post is for you!
At the very beginning of January, I was incredibly grateful to have attended AIAA’s SciTech 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida. It was a 5-day event held at the beautiful Hyatt Regency of Orlando. This was one of the biggest conferences I have attended, as the conference website stated there were about 6,000 people who traveled to Orlando that week for SciTech 2025. I was able to sit in on seminars, hear about new research, and network with many other students and professionals in the industry.
I recently joined the BID4R (Biologically Inspired Design for Resilience) Lab at the College of Engineering on campus. I have accepted a Lead Systems Engineer position on Project COMET (CubeSat Optical and mm-Wave Enabled Telecommunications). I am also gathering data for my thesis this semester and weaving this project into my thesis topic as well. I plan to submit a my research to present at SciTech 2026.
The properties in Orlando never seize to amaze me with how gorgeous and luxurious they are. It was beautiful visiting this resort and really felt like a small vacation.
As part of the project, we had the opportunity to attend the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) Kickoff event in Albuquerque, New Mexico this past week. It was a 3-day event with a rigorous agenda, but it was all worth it. We were introduced to many concepts, several already very familiar to me, including mission operations, CONOPS, satellite subsystems, and communication networks in space. In collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and the Small Satellite Portfolio, I spoke with many experienced military and government personnel and received great advice for our upcoming research with Project COMET. We have the next 2 years to mature the idea until we will return to New Mexico for the next part of the project.
It was a great opportunity to work on my public speaking skills, critical thinking skills, networking skills, and satellite engineering skills. It definitely was a challenge and enriching experience.
Almost forgot to mention the change of scenery to cleanse my mind and wake up my tastebuds was just what I needed. The views, the food, and the people were all incredible. The balcony view from my hotel room was just jaw-dropping: the mountain view, the sunset every evening, the sunrise every morning, and the cool desert air traveling through my room. Even though I only kept the door open for 5 minutes until I almost froze. However, despite it getting into the single digits, I can honestly say Florida in the winter is colder (because of the moisture in the air)! My sinuses definitely prefer sub tropical climates.
This semester is going to be a busy one. I am traveling A LOT this year and have so many things planned: Women in Aviation International 2025 in Denver, CO, Megacon in Orlando, FL, SmallSat 2025 in Utah, and best of all, our wedding! My fiancé and I have been engaged for 2 years now and we finally found the time to plan our reception, despite us both being full-time students and employees that work 2+ jobs each. Life can be challenging sometimes, but I am always up for a challenge.
To top it all off, we just got our own place! We moved into a gated apartment community and we couldn’t be more proud of ourselves. Our family, pets, and friends are all so happy. The complex is beautiful, safe. and everything we could have asked for and more. We live in an upstairs 2/2 and have the best lakefront view! We are planning our housewarming party, our wedding, and my fiancé is transferring to UCF this year. It has been nothing short of exciting and beautiful. We have a busy year ahead of us!
My current month’s to-do list consists of research, research, and research. Specifically, my thesis, the project I am leading at BID4R, and some personal research as well. I am getting really good at this research thing. I highly recommend taking EGR 600 with Dr. Steinhauer at the College of Engineering for any graduate student looking to pursue an engineering Masters/Ph.D. and is looking to do the thesis route. It is a wonderful expansion on the foundations of research and how to conduct research in an appropriate and efficient way.
That is all for now. I can’t wait to see what else this year brings.
Ciao for now!
