People think you have to a pick a lane and stick to it. But if we pursue the things we want to pursue, simultaneously, if we really go for it, we might just create magic.

b.1997

Aurora, IL

b.s. degree

Physics

biggest role model

Astronaut Suni Williams

I was born in 1997 in Aurora, IL. I was raised in Oregon, but have since lived in Texas, DC, New York, California, Florida, and Alabama through my work.

Since I was four years old, I have been dreaming of the stars and becoming an astronaut. As I made her way through middle school, I found a passion for acting and modeling as well. Since the age of 11, I have been on stage or on screen — from plays at the University of Oregon, where I majored in physics and minored in math, to on set with Beyoncé for Brown Skin Girl. I am currently signed with an LA-based agency and manager.

Throughout my career, I have worked at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Johnson Space Center on propulsion and the cockpit displays of the Orion spacecraft. I also worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama.

In July 2021, I received the news that I had been accepted to the Project PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Program, that will train and qualify me to fly in space. I began training in August 2021.

In March 2022, I got a call that I will be in the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. That day will forever be one of my most life-changing experiences.

Outside of my passion for science and acting/modeling, I work diligently to create and reimagine what equity and justice look like. I continue to organize for gun violence prevention, racial justice, menstrual freedom, and sexual violence eradication — issues that have affected me and my loved ones deeply. I spend my days running Operation Period.