• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2023

• University of Central Florida, Aerospace Engineering, ‘24

• Host Institution: Airbus

• Mentor: Tracy Drain

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Alexandria Baca is a Junior studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Alexandria is a first-generation student with passion that lies among the stars.

Growing up, she never had exposure to the aerospace industry, and was not encouraged to pursue a STEM career path. With no direct resources within her reach, Alexandria made sure to remain curious and eager to expand her understanding of the world as she herself grew within it.

In university, Alexandria has been a part of a handful of projects, some in which she had led. Among these is her science operations role in the NASA RASC-AL competition with the SEDS-UCF chapter, and systems engineering role in the NASA SUITS design challenge mission. Her first work experience in the industry was at NASA in the Exploration and In-Space Services (NExIS) division as a Robotic Satellite Servicing intern, where she was on a team supporting the Mars Sample Return alongside other robotic missions.

In 2021, Alexandria became an inaugural fellow of the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, a sister program of the Brooke Owens Fellowship. That summer she interned at Virgin Galactic on their Large Scale Test team that operates out of Mojave, CA. Alongside interning at Virgin Galactic, she led a team of fellows in developing a laser optical system to remove space debris, which further expanded Alexandria’s understanding and awareness of space environmentalism. Most recently, she was a Systems Engineering intern with Lockheed Martin Space supporting their Special Programs out of Denver, CO.

Alexandria is the co-founder and Vice President of Naut Normal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to build a community of space-minded individuals that accelerates the accessibility of space and expands youth engagement through education, exposure, and simulated astronaut training.

Looking up and ahead, Alexandria is incredibly honored to be a Class of 2023 Brooke Owens Fellow. She is excited to continue to grow in experience, commitment to service, and excel forward as a thriving leader in the aerospace industry.