Waterloo Engineering student selected for inaugural class of national space fellowship program
An engineering undergraduate at the University of Waterloo who has dreamed of working in the space industry since she was a young girl took a big step in that direction today with her selection for a national fellowship program.
Elizabeth Drew, a third-year mechatronics engineering student, is one of 10 fellows in the inaugural class named by the Zenith Canada Pathways Foundation (ZCPF), a non-profit organization created to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in the space sector.
Elizabeth Drew is a third-year mechatronics engineering student.
Fellows from universities across the country will work at a Canadian space organization, get paired with a senior industry mentor, receive professional development training and meet with other fellows throughout the year-long program.
Drew wanted to be an astronomer before attending a space camp in Houston when she was 11 and learning about the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched late last year with goals including observation of the first stars and finding potentially habitable planets.
“From there I was set,” she said of a presentation on the telescope. “Engineering for space robotics was the goal.”
As a fellow in the ZCPF program, Drew will work this summer on satellite components at Sinclair Interplanetary by Rocket Lab, a leading satellite hardware company based in Toronto.
Drew, who grew up in Calgary, is ultimately aiming for a technical and strategic leadership role in the Canadian space industry, either with her own business or in positions with private companies or the Canadian Space Agency.
“This internship is much more than a job - it is an opportunity for growth and an affirmation that this is the path in life I am destined to take,” she said.
Drew feels up for the challenge after learning crucial soft skills through her co-op terms, as well as gaining insight into how entire systems must interact to succeed and how to tackle real-world problems.
Fellows were chosen based on their community involvement, leadership skills, technical capabilities and passion for contributing to the Canadian space sector.
