As a young woman who dreams of colonizing Mars, I have had to overcome significant and unexpected adversity from both teachers and colleagues throughout my academic career. While I find it horridly archaic, I have learned how to ignore the criticisms and snide comments from men and women alike who want to "scrub my launch," so to speak.

My most significant advice on this topic is find something that interests you and helps you grow as a person. I volunteered with my school's Special Education department during the summers, and while it was a challenge waking up early during my summer break, the experience itself...

After receiving my Bachelors of Science in Astrobiology, I plan to join the United States Navy. I will join as an Interpretive Cryptologic Technician. This means that I will act as a translator and decode information in foreign languages. I hope to attend the Defense Language Institute during my time in the Navy to learn more languages,...

When I began my college search, I looked for schools that had Planetary Science programs because that’s what I wanted to study before I discovered Astrobiology. Out of the few schools that I found, I narrowed my list to three schools: Arizona State University, Northwestern University, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I almost immediately eliminated Northwestern from my list because the location left much to be desired, as did the weather. With this in mind, I paid a visit to the remaining two...