Two Extraordinary Embry-Riddle Women Join Elite Cohort as 2019 Brooke Owens Fellows

To join the elite cohort of “Brookies” this year, Alyssa and Jaclyn competed with students from more than 125 universities in 13 nations. 

Fellows are selected for “their professional aptitude, their creativity, their leadership ability and their commitment to serving their communities,” the Brooke Owens Fellowship program announced this week. “The program’s acceptance rate is on par with the top universities in the world.” 

Jaclyn WIley, a senior majoring in Spaceflight Operations, helped create and produce a series of space education videos (Project ATLANTIS). As a Brooke Owens Fellow, she will work for Bryce Space and Technology.

Jaclyn Wiley, a senior majoring in Spaceflight Operations, helped create and produce a series of space education videos (Project ATLANTIS). As a Brooke Owens Fellow, she will work for Bryce Space and Technology.

All Brooke Owens Fellows are paired with internships and executive-level mentors at leading aerospace companies and organizations. Alyssa, a junior Aeronautical Science major, will work at the Air Line Pilots Association in Herndon, Va. Jaclyn, a senior majoring in Spaceflight Operations, will work at Bryce Space and Technology in Alexandria, Va. 

Founded in 2016, the volunteer-led Brooke Owens Fellowship program honors the memory of a beloved space industry pioneer and accomplished pilot who passed away in June 2016 at the age of 35, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. 

Owens (’02) was an alumna of Embry-Riddle. 

The Fellowships help “transform the aerospace industry by providing opportunities and access to talented young professionals from historically underrepresented genders,” program directors said. 

Both 2019 Embry-Riddle Brookies have demonstrated exceptional innovation and dedication to education. For example, Jaclyn helped create and produce a series of space education videos (Project ATLANTIS) that are currently being used as supplementary content for Spaceflight Operations classes. 

At Bryce Space and Technology, she will help conduct analyses of commercial, government and private space industries worldwide. 

Alyssa, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., is a Resident Advisor and a long-time member of the Women’s Rowing Club as well as the Honors program. She plans to leverage her Fellowship by building a professional network for the future during her tenure at the Air Line Pilots Association. “I feel honored to be a part of a wonderful group of aerospace-loving women,” she said of her award. “I am looking forward to seeing where this opportunity will take me.” 

Jaclyn said: “I am extremely honored to be chosen as a Brookie. Brooke Owens and the Fellowship program that bears her name are extremely inspiring. Many of my Spaceflight Operations colleagues have been chosen for the program before me, so it is nice to be able to continue the positive representation of my major, Embry-Riddle and young women in aerospace everywhere.” 

Learn more about the 2019 Brooke Owen Fellowship program online.

Posted In: Aviation | Space