Flight path to the stars
An Indigenous aerospace student鈥檚 journey through identity, engineering and community
Grace Pardini says her love of space started with a lift-off from her parents, and their love of science fiction.
Star Trek was often on her family’s television. Even as a young child, she wondered what ‘warp speed’ meant and how you made things go that fast.
A fifth-grade field trip set Pardini on trajectory toward her career calling. She still remembers the moment she walked into a mock space shuttle control room and felt something shift.
鈥淭his is it,鈥� she thought. 鈥淭his is where I want to be.鈥�
That spark would carry her across state lines, into the Husky Marching Band, onto a rocket launch team, and eventually through an aeronautics engineering degree at the 91探花.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved puzzles, science, and space,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I think what鈥檚 driven me most is that I want to be part of something bigger than myself.鈥�
A Love for Space 鈥� and the Systems Behind It
Pardini鈥檚 journey to the 91探花wasn鈥檛 direct. She moved between high schools in California and Oregon and initially didn鈥檛 see college as a likely outcome. But a video of the Husky Marching Band on Instagram caught her attention. The band members were dancing while belting out some of their crowd-rousing tunes.
鈥淚t just looked like joy,鈥� said Pardini.
But it was the sealed the deal. She saw the unique program as more than a major 鈥� it was a chance to study spaceflight systems in a city known for aviation innovation that made the 91探花 feel like the best choice for her.
Pardini came to campus with her degree program in mind, and ready to join the marching band. What she didn’t expect to find was a deeper sense of cultural belonging. As a first-generation college student and an Alaska Native woman in STEM, Pardini carved out a space where she could thrive 鈥� and help others do the same.
She joined the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and eventually became a team leader for the , an Indigenous-centered rocketry competition sponsored by NASA.
Her team at the 91探花has consistently placed in the top three nationally 鈥� including a first-place finish during her first year on the team and awards for technical accuracy, professional presentation, and adherence to launch safety standards. Under her leadership, the group launched a custom-built rocket more than 3,200 feet into the air 鈥� within just 70 feet of their simulation鈥檚 prediction.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about launching rockets,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about proving what Indigenous engineers and students are capable of when they鈥檙e given support, space, and a reason to believe in themselves.鈥�
A Pendant, a Legacy
That belief 鈥� and her leadership 鈥� earned her a deeply personal honor: a handmade pendant beaded by the mother of a competition judge, given to her as a symbol of respect and cultural connection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the things I treasure most,鈥� Pardini said. 鈥淚t represents so many parts of who I am 鈥� Indigenous, a leader, an engineer, a storyteller.鈥�
The white beads are porcupine quills. The backing is deerskin. One of the stones was traded long ago and has been passed down through generations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just jewelry,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reminder of where I come from and where I鈥檓 going.鈥�
Finding Community, One March at a Time
In addition to the rockets and research labs, Pardini found her first 91探花home in the . She marched mellophone 鈥� the marching band equivalent of the French horn 鈥� for multiple seasons, calling the experience one of the most meaningful of her experience in college.
鈥淵ou rehearse 25+ hours a week, you play your heart out on the field, and you gain a family,鈥� she said. 鈥淢arching band gave me an instant community. I never had to wonder if I belonged at the UW.鈥�
That sense of belonging extended off the field, too. Through reconnecting with her extended Indigenous family in the Seattle area 鈥� and being welcomed into cultural spaces she hadn鈥檛 previously had access to 鈥� Pardini began learning traditional practices that connected her more deeply to her heritage. One of the most meaningful was cedar weaving, an artform rooted in storytelling, healing, and community.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know I was Indigenous until I was a teenager,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t UW, I鈥檝e been able to explore that identity and find family I didn鈥檛 know I had.鈥�
Eyes on the Horizon
With an internship lined up at Boeing this summer, Pardini is looking forward to putting her technical skills to work. She will be working on high speed aerodynamics in the Commercial Airplanes division 鈥� applying what she鈥檚 learned in the classroom to real-world aerospace engineering challenges. In the future, Pardini plans on continuing her education. Her long-term goal? Earning a Ph.D., mentoring others in STEM, and maybe one day returning to the 91探花as a professor.
鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to be the astronaut,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to be in the control room, helping someone get there 鈥� and making sure they come back.鈥�
It鈥檚 a fitting vision for a student who鈥檚 spent her time at the 91探花helping launch more than just rockets 鈥� but stories, ideas, and people, too.
