A Waterloo Engineering student has been recognized among top emerging aerospace leaders.
Shanaya Barretto, a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student, was recently named a 2025 Brooke Owens Fellow, a prestigious program offering paid internships and executive mentorship to outstanding undergraduate women and gender minorities in aerospace.
Barretto was one of 44 recipients selected from more than 400 applicants worldwide.
As part of the fellowship, Barretto will intern at Amazon Prime Air this summer. At Waterloo Engineering, she has led electrical systems for the university’s CubeSat team and co-founded an underwater autonomous vehicle team. She has also interned at Rocket Lab and Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory, gaining experience in spacecraft and robotics development.
Established in 2016, the Brooke Owens Fellowship honours the memory of aerospace pioneer and accomplished pilot D. Brooke Owens, who passed away at the age of 35 from cancer. It selects students based on talent, leadership, and community impact.