• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2023

• University of Kentucky, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24

• Host Institution: SpaceX

• Mentor: Meenakshi (Mini) Wadhwa

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Kylie Schmidt is in her third year at the University of Kentucky pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering alongside a Certificate in Aerospace. Kylie was initially inspired to pursue engineering by her mother: a mentor, her biggest advocate, and an ocean engineer herself. Growing up, Kylie would assist her mother with their family business, Pemberton’s Greenhouses, by helping maintain their intricate heating system. Although this piqued her interest in engineering, her passion for space was solidified when she visited National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and was immediately enamored by human spaceflight. With this sight picture in mind, Kylie is trailblazing her path into the space industry.

While at the University of Kentucky, Kylie is proudest of her involvement in clubs such as Engineers without Borders, Society of Women Engineers, and SpaceLex. Most notably, she is the current Mechanical Lead of SpaceLex: a competitive model rocketry team pushing the boundaries of student-led aerospace endeavors. Although still in its early years, this close-knit and fun-loving group is building the club’s first competitive model rocket. She is also lucky enough to be on her third internship rotation with Space Tango, a company designing automated research payloads for the International Space Station. Through them, Kylie created the SmartCap: a new modular interface between plant growth and data collection; she presented her work at the 2022 American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference. Kylie is thankful for all the experience and encouragement she has received from Space Tango and hopes to use what she learned to start strong at her next internship with SpaceX.

Outside of engineering, Kylie is also an avid horseback rider with many years in competitive show jumping; winning the Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association Medal Finals in 2020. Kylie spends her free time playing board games, discovering new music, and hiking. Recently, she has picked up dog performance sports with her favorite partner-in-crime, Frost!

These things keep her grounded as she strives to accomplish her goals in the space industry. She sees all the excitement and progress in this quickly growing field and hopes to use her skills to steer the industry toward inclusivity and accessibility for the future of humankind.