The official magazine for Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity, one of the oldest women's fraternities founded in 1893.
REAL MERIT & WORTH
LAUREN KOLB, EMBRY-RIDDLE DAYTONA BEACH '23, interned at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. She worked in the Mission Control Center in the Flight Operations Directorate with the Flight Dynamics Guidance Navigation & Control (GNC) Group. Her role was to work alongside the Artemis II Control group and NASA Flight Controllers to develop console tools and telemetry displays to support the upcoming launch. One of her projects was to create a navigation comparison display to provide insight into poor navigation readings between the SLS, ICPS, and Orion vehicles. Her main project was to coordinate and lead the display certification process for the Artemis II Control Group in preparation for Flight Readiness Review. On top of these, she was able to attend over 10 Artemis II simulations covering various scenarios needed to prepare flight controllers and the crew for the mission. During one of which, she met Reid Wiseman (Commander) and Christina Koch (Mission Specialist) of the Artemis II crew. "It was such an insane experience, and every day I was learning so many incredible things," said Lauren. "Just being able to experience day-to-day operations, sitting in on discussions and classes, learning from the most qualified people, and always asking questions taught me the most invaluable lessons."
While at JSC this summer, Lauren also had the chance to meet with one of her chapter's previous presidents, Lauren Cox, who works at NASA as a Human Performance Engineer. "It was awesome to talk and hear how she got to where she is now. It really emphasized how having Sisters in Alpha Xi Delta also pursuing the same degree or career path has helped me grow in myself and my own career. Just from our own alumnae network, there are always Sisters willing to help when needed, and it is something I'll continue to use even after graduation," said Lauren.
After Lauren graduates in May with her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, she plans to move into a full-time position in the aerospace industry. "My internship at NASA and previous experiences have provided me with the soft skills and technical knowledge needed to carry myself into whatever opportunity comes next. I hope to continue working in human spaceflight and aviation with a focus in human factors engineering," said Lauren.
THE QUILL 34