Shelby Conry

• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2019

• Iowa State University, Aerospace Engineering, '21

• Host Institution: Mojave Air and Space Port

• Mentor: Michelle Murray

Shelby Conry is an Aerospace Engineering major at Iowa State University. She is a nontraditional student who realized her passion for aerospace while enlisted in the United States Air Force as an aircraft loadmaster on Boeing’s C-17A Globemaster III.

As a loadmaster, Shelby traveled the world while delivering cargo and passengers to both major airbases and remote airfields. She enjoyed working as a team on aircrews and making an impact through humanitarian, combat, and strategic routes on missions and deployments. Before leaving the Air Force, she earned instructor, airdrop, and airdrop inspector certifications. The experiences and opportunities she had led her to set the goals of impacting the safety of aircrews and passengers and expanding her knowledge and leadership abilities, through a career in aerospace engineering.

Initially, she returned to school at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and participated in the Student Veterans Organization, connecting with other veterans and easing the transition from military to civilian life for herself and others. After studying at UNO, she transferred to Iowa State University to continue her studies.

In her free time, she enjoys trivia, traveling, crocheting, and spending time with her friends.

As a 2019 Brooke Owens Fellow, Shelby interned at Mojave Air and Space Port.