It all started with a telescope.

When senior Emily Mazur was a child, she looked through one to see the planets and stars. She knew then that she wanted to be a woman in STEM.

Her idea solidified when she joined engineering club in 8th grade, as Mazur’s love for outer space morphed into a passion for CAD software, which allows 3D models to be made online. It was during one of these club meetings in which she recalled seeing something that would steer the rest of her life.

“I saw aerospace engineering being shown on the poster and immediately knew that this was going to be my career,” she said. “It combined two of my biggest interests.”

By high school, Mazur had the opportunity to take classes relating to her career pathway. Without hesitation, she took those opportunities, taking intro to engineering, aerospace, and civil engineering. This also included taking AP-level physics and math courses.

Along with learning challenging AP courses, Mazur also indulged in some pretty intricate classes, including aerospace engineering. Throughout this course, Mazur designed 3D-printed plane wings, tested wind tunnels and even created model rockets.

“This class gave me the reassurance that this was the right career path for me,” Mazur said.

By senior year, Mazur took her passion a step further, as she took the Aviation Academy class through Elk Grove High School. Thanks to this course, Mazur now knows how to change the tire of a plane and even fix its engine.

Although Mazur knew exactly what she wanted to do in aeronautical engineering, choosing a college was challenging.

“There are only two schools in Illinois that offer my major,” she said. referring to Illinois Tech and University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. “I preferred to stay in state so there weren’t many options to choose from.”

Although Mazur had a tough time choosing the college fit for her, she ultimately chose U of I due to its highly-ranked aerospace program.

Now that Mazur has worked behind the scenes, she has a newfound respect for airplanes, especially when she goes to visit her family in Poland.

“I’ve been to Poland about five or six times and every time I go, I think about how grateful I am for air travel,” she said. “If it weren’t for this amazing technology, I likely wouldn’t have been able to meet my grandparents or cousins.”