My roots start in Mexico where I was born. My family moved to the US when I was about 8 years old. Growing up in the US was difficult at first due to the language barrier, but I worked hard and was a fluent English speaker within two years. My mom instilled a strong work ethic in me since childhood and always encouraged me to follow my passions. Space, Math, Astronomy, and Physics have interested me for as long as I can remember and I never lost sight of that growing up.
I graduated high school and enrolled in San Diego City College to study Electrical Engineering despite various setbacks. After three years I transferred to UCLA where I obtained my B.S. in Electrical Engineering. During my time at UCLA I interned at NASA JPL. Eventually, I transitioned to a full-time engineering position and worked on 5 NASA missions including Perseverance and Europa Clipper. Currently, I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. I have received an Honorary Doctorate for my humanitarian contributions to society as well as my contributions to technology. On June 4th, 2022, I became the first Mexican-born Woman in Space after being selected by Space for Humanity for a mission to analyze the “Overview Effect”.