Growing up, my parents instilled the curiosity for exploration, and allowed me to imagine the endless possibilities of space and humanity. They also taught me how vital community and human connection is - how interconnected we all are.

Armed with a Master in Public Health, I dedicated over two decades of International Development, Humanitarian, and Emergency Response experience to rebuilding communities in active war, conflict, natural disasters, and epidemiological outbreaks. After years in these contexts, learning so much about the human condition and resilience from people in adverse situations, I just yearned to do more.

A few years ago, I took time to deeply consider how I wanted to keep contributing in even more positive ways. Over a holiday dinner with friends from Italy, Haiti, and Uruguay, someone mentioned that I should finally pivot to space and technology. They were absolutely right! There is nothing quite like the sizzling excitement in your core when you unlock the right door. I dove right into the industry, making up for lost time.

In the first year, I interviewed space industry friends, attended as many STEM/science/space conferences as possible, started my applied astronautics certification with the IIAS PoSSUM program, and sought out mentors. Like a sponge, I was soaking up all the new information, educating myself, fielding guidance from my mentors, then aligning my skills. New Space offered a revitalization of the space economy, and I quickly made myself relevant by adapting my Human Resilience and Human Factors skills to space science efforts!