Lauren Lugo, a senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been interested in space exploration since high school, when she was first introduced to the space community by her uncle, an aerospace engineer. He inspired her to participate in the Texas High School of Aerospace Scholars Program to launch her into the field. And though she has had a lasting enthusiasm for all things space, she chose to pursue an education in electrical engineering because of her love for coding and circuits.
“The funny thing is, I just don't like the mechanical physics behind it,” Lugo said. “I learned that that was not the path for me very early on in my classes. I really just like the more electrical side behind it — the circuits class was really exciting to me. I knew that even if I chose to pursue electrical, I could still be in the space industry, or really in any industry that I wanted to.”
Lugo began working with NASA through the Pathways Internship Program in spring 2021 where she completed two semester-long internships focusing on developing hardware code for the space launch system (SLS) rocket for Artemis 1. She is currently completing her third semester with the program, working at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. There, she is working on nuclear thermal propulsion as well as building and designing circuits.
“When I finally saw a Hispanic woman that was an engineer at NASA, that's what inspired me to go ahead and chase that,” Lugo said. “At that point, I was like, ‘Why should I not go for my dreams?’ Because for a while, I was a little nervous. I thought, ‘NASA is too big. There's no way that I could fit into that group with no previous internship experience.’ But I did it anyway.”
“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Wow, this opportunity that I have is out of this world,’ literally.”
When I finally saw a Hispanic woman that was an engineer at NASA, that's what inspired me to go ahead and chase that. At that point, I was like, ‘Why should I not go for my dreams?
Having dreamed of pursuing space in any form, Lugo also took part in undergraduate research in astronomy from her previous institution and at the Texas A&M Munnerlyn Astronomical Instrumentation Lab.
Before her involvement with NASA, Lugo found her place at Texas A&M Engineering as an ambassador for the Women in Engineering program when she transferred to Texas A&M in fall 2019. In that group, she found a strong community that has continued to help her during her times of transition.
Lugo encourages other young women who have an interest in the field of engineering to follow their dreams and not let the “what ifs” or the “not enoughs” impede their progress.
“Keep pushing,” Lugo said. “I had a lot of no’s myself. Even if that means pushing back a semester, it's worth it to get that experience if you can. And even if you can't, don't give up. There are so many different paths to get to space, or just to being an engineer in general. If you have a dream, don't be afraid. I know it can be really scary to put yourself out there, but the worst they can say is no, and it may hurt for a little bit, but eventually that no will be a yes.”