Astronaut Discusses How Engineering Prepared Her for Space
Audrey Powers, Astronaut and VP of Flight Operations at Blue Origin, shares her career path from co-op engineering student to manufacturing, law school, and aerospace leader
“You never know where you’ll end up with an engineering background. I would not have predicted this.” That was among the observations offered by astronaut-engineer-lawyer Audrey Powers to Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation Fellows when she met with them virtually on December 1. Powers is among the most recent space travelers as part of the crew on Blue Origin’s craft in October (along with William Shatner of Star Trek fame).
“No decision is going to be the last decision that you make. And probably the way that you think it’s going to go is not the way it actually is going to go. For every decision that you make there probably are limitless opportunities that you don’t even know about.”
Powers was fulfilling a lifelong dream, with her interest in space initially sparked while she was in elementary school. After receiving an engineering degree from Purdue University and experience working with NASA, Powers earned a degree from Santa Clara University Law School while also working at a large aerospace manufacturer. Now Vice President of New Shepard Mission & Flight Operations at Blue Origin, she lauded the co-op experience – alternating semesters at Purdue and with McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). Powers called that a key step in her STEM pathway. The co-op program allowed her to see aerospace design, production, and flight tests in action as well as to get exposure to what’s involved in meeting customer needs. “It really benefitted me when I went to apply for jobs in my senior year at Purdue.” She also pointed to the value of internships.
Powers encouraged the STEM Fellows to consider prospective colleges’ connections with employers, as well as their career counseling centers, as a key factor in choosing their schools. In response to a question, she advised that “No decision is going to be the last decision that you make. And probably the way that you think it’s going to go is not the way it actually is going to go. For every decision that you make there probably are limitless opportunities that you don’t even know about.” She added, “I feel strongly that if you just study something you are interested in, there’s going to be a career path for that.” As the session wrapped up, Class 1 Fellow Jade LeSchack reacted this way: ”I want to go to space!” She later added that space travel ”was definitely not at the forefront of my mind” but “hearing from Audrey has now brought it higher on my bucket list.”
The Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in memory of Sandra Lee Heyman, a long-time mathematics teacher at the elementary, middle school, high school, and community college levels. The 18-month long Fellowship is aimed at promising high school students who have the opportunity to meet with STEM leaders, visit prominent institutions in the Washington, D.C., area, and access peers and mentors to support career exploration in STEM fields. There are multiple ways to support the Fellowship program, and donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.