It’s never too late.
For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a scientist. Specifically, an astronomer or "astomener" according to this letter from little me back in 03' I was obsessed with galaxies, the potential for life within those galaxies, UFOs, crop circles, and alien abduction stories.
Later on, I found out that most of those topics were "conspiracy theories" and the field I was actually interested in is called astrobiology or life detection sciences.
I got to college and didn't know what I was doing (didn't even know about astrobio). Being a first gen, I was basically on my own as far as navigating the ins and outs of college. My freshman year of college was a little intimidating and seeing astrophysics on my degree sheet even more so. I literally never heard of nor seen a person of color (especially women) in the College of Astronomy nor at the star parties I frequented.
It wasn't until after I graduated college that I discovered the brilliant likes of Dr. Jeddah I. and Moogea Cooper in astrophysics and planetary protection! Growing up, I never knew of a Black woman (or man) in astronomy or the space industry until I saw them on an episode of "How the Universe Works."
Furthermore, in the Black community where I grew up, it was "weird" to have such interests. Back then, I never thought to go the extra mile to do research on Black professionals in astro. In hindsight, I can see how the lack of representation impacted my academic career decisions. I had no one who looked like me I could reach out to... literally the only person elementary me remembers is Albert Einstein and I read every single book in the library about him. So I was under the impression that all astronomers had to be Albert Einstein. I was 1,000 percent wrong!
To quote Dr. Korie A. G. on what a scientist looks like, "We are eclectic, non-traditional, geeky, and a little weird (some of us a lot)." I was a lot of weird...according to my peers.
I wasn't and still am not the best at math. I recall during my freshmen year a professor telling me, "if you're not good at math, don't do a math major". Which I ultimately listened to and pursued communications. Yes, outreach is just as important as science, however, I could've challenged myself more and persisted through those math courses. I also didn't know of the many ways you could pursue astrobiology.
I went through phases of not knowing what I wanted to do after that and tried pursuing other interests but I would constantly feel unfulfilled and always ended up back in science. Whether it was working for a plant nursery and learning hydroponics or building my own projects like the neighborhood observatory.
Now, I've been working toward what I've always wanted to do, be a scientist in the field of astrobiology. One day soon, I hope to meet and connect with more women of color in astrobiology and encourage future astrobiologists!
All this to say how much #RepresentationMatters, to challenge yourself and be patient with yourself. My efforts led me to found Space For Us. So far, I have raised over $88,000 in funding, assisting me in building one mobile observatory to bring astronomy to neighborhoods with a second one forthcoming.
“We all come from the same planet, we need to start acting like it.”
Our Mission.
Space For Us is dedicated to making STEAM resources and careers in space sciences more visible and accessible to underserved communities, particularly minorities and BIPOC individuals of all ages, while also promoting dark sky protection and advocacy. Regardless of background, everyone should be able to explore and contribute to the infinite possibilities of space exploration and astronomy.
Our mission is to empower and inspire the next generation of diverse space enthusiasts, spacefarers, and professionals and to foster an equitable and inclusive environment within space sciences and related fields. Through innovative programs and partnerships, we strive to ignite curiosity, build skills, expand opportunities, and foster an understanding of the importance of the dark sky for all who share our passion for the wonders of the cosmos.
Leadership Team
Actual Rocket Scientists!
ASHLEY WALKER
PLANETARY SCIENCE CHAIR
Ashley Walker is an astrochemist and astrobiologist. She founded Black in Astro and was the first of two Black women to win the NASA FINNEST Fellowship from an HBCU. Furthermore, Ashley is a Planetary Science PhD student at Howard University in the Graduate Program in Atmospheric Sciences. At Howard University, she studies the atmospheric processes and evolution of the Ice Giants, Neptune, and Uranus. Previously, she was a post-bac intern at NASA GSFC studying the atmospheric chemistry of Saturn's moon, Titan, and received her BS in Chemistry from Chicago State University.
NAIA BUTLER-CRAIG
AEROSPACE ENGINEERING CHAIR
Naia Butler-Craig is an Aerospace Engineering PhD Student. She was an honoree of the sciences in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021. She is a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Fellow and GEM Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a member of the High-Power Electric Propulsion Lab. She obtained her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a special concentration in Astronautics and a minor in Computational Mathematics Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is also a NASA Pathways intern in the Science and Space Technology Systems branch at the Glenn Research Center. Her goal is to become a mission specialist astronaut and participate in and contribute to deep space exploration.
