My name is Tonya Taylor and I am a student from St. Paul’s School for Girls. I’m completing my three-week senior project with APL in the Space Department. During my time here, I have learned about the TIMED mission and about engineering in general. I have met with many people involved with TIMED such as: Dave Kusnierkiewicz, Sam Yee, Steve Gemeny, and Mike Butler, just to name a few.

I became interested in engineering during my junior year of high school. I participated in a physics workshop in which I was able to learn a lot about the mechanics and design of roller coasters. From there, I started to look into biomedical engineering due to my work on my junior project with a geneticist. My studies in biology and chemistry increased my interest in engineering as well. As I continued my exploration of the different types of engineering, the aerospace department began to appeal to me. I have been interested in space since elementary school and APL was the perfect place to learn more about it.

This fall, I will continue my education at Duke University. I am currently deciding between majors in engineering, biochemistry, and mathematics. Working at APL has been a rewarding experience because it allowed me to further investigate possible careers in engineering. Plus, I am able to be a part of a very interesting mission!

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