Mary Cooper
Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2020
Stanford University, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, ‘22
Host Institution: Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)
Mentor: Aschley Schiller
Mary Cooper is a sophomore studying at Stanford University pursuing a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Her interest in the aerospace industry stems from her father’s career as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot in the United States Coast Guard. Growing up in a military family, she has moved seven times and lived all across the country. These childhood experiences provided Mary with a firsthand appreciation of how brave the men and women who serve in our military are. In high school, Mary was named the 2017 Military Child of the Year by Operation Homefront.
Life has naturally pushed Mary to think outside the box. As a below the knee amputee, Mary has been reliant upon a prosthetic leg for nearly her entire life. There have been large advancements in prosthetic technology over the last decade which she has been able to witness firsthand. This has driven her curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math from a young age. Mary is the proud owner of several high-performance, light-weight carbon fiber composite legs. Being an amputee has given her a unique perspective and shaped her problem-solving skills. Mary has learned that her passion for helping disabled people has a place in the STEM community which is a major factor that led her to Stanford University.
At Stanford, Mary is incredibly active in a variety of extracurricular activities. She has had the privilege of researching in the Stanford Biomechatronics lab. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi, an official Stanford tour guide, and an activist for other disabled students. In addition, Mary worked as a student apprentice with Sail GP’s the United States and Great Britain national teams on maintaining their high-performance racing sailboats. Mary has also been involved in many different athletics. She was an all-American in track and field in high school and is currently a member of Stanford’s NCAA championship-winning lightweight women’s rowing team.
As Mary progresses through school and into a career, she hopes to find work in the aerospace industry focused on design, efficiency, and environmental factors. She hopes to spend her time outside of work to help disabled individuals access new technology that will make their lives easier and help them find ways to compete in sports.
As a Brooke Owens Fellow, Mary will be interning at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) in Washington, DC.