An astronaut, an aerospace engineer, a pilot …
For most kids growing up, these ambitions are simply a dream, but Wiradjuri teen Stacey Buckley is one step closer to making it happen.
She is one of five Indigenous students from New South Wales heading to NASA's prestigious Space Camp for a week-long program.
"I never really thought that I would have the opportunity to do anything space related in a science field because of our location, I mean we really only have the Big Dish, and so going to America, going to NASA Space Camp, really opens up a door I never thought I had," Stacey said.
The program, held at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville Alabama, brings together teens from different countries to experience activities in aerospace, astronautics and develop leadership skills.
"It feels amazing to be able to represent our community, to represent Indigenous women, to represent Australia and myself," she said.
As a self-proclaimed science fanatic, Stacey hopes the program will open doors for her, with ambitions to achieve a bachelor's degree in science after school.
"I do chemistry, earth science and bio at school now. I wish I could do more," she said.
But she is most excited to try out the 1/6th gravity chair.
"It's a chair that you sit in, and you can bounce on it, and it mimics the moon's gravity," she said.
Inspiring girls to get involved with STEM
The opportunity is funded through a new partnership between the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) and the global Honeywell Leadership Challange Academy.
NASCA is an Indigenous-led organisation based in New South Wales that provides support for First Nations students to succeed in school.
"As Aboriginal people, we're the first astronomers. So to be able to connect to the space side of things and keep that part of our culture alive and showcase our culture over in America, I think it's amazing," NASCA deputy program director Hayley Astill said.
The Gamilaraay Ularoi woman, who will also be travelling to the States, said Space Camp is an opportunity for skill building that helps create a pathway for Indigenous teenagers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
According to the CSIRO, Australia's STEM workforce is 15 per cent women, and only 0.5 per cent of First Nations people have a university STEM qualification.
"It's not very common that Aboriginal women have these sorts of opportunities... To open these doors and open the girls' minds and eyes to a whole different world is something that we always strive for," Hayley said.
Looking to the future
Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri teen Jasmine Wilson is a prefect at Tempe High School in Sydney's inner-west.
She hopes the experience will help build her leadership skills.
"I think it'll definitely teach me to kind of be like, confident within myself, especially meeting so many different people and being able to represent my culture and my school, and even Australia as a country," she said.
Jasmine's year 8 science teacher Sharee Bourke says over the years, more and more girls have become interested in the "hardcore" science subjects like physics and chemistry.
"Things have changed, which is great… I used to see myself as a role model for women and girls coming into science and doing that the field," she said.
"There's been a real change, and it's great seeing those girls expand into science and showing strength."
Proving a career in STEM is possible
Soaring to great heights is something Tharawal woman Renee Wootton is very familiar with.
The aerospace engineer and commercial pilot is currently an intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles, with dreams of becoming Australia's first Indigenous astronaut.
"I am working on an early-stage research piece of work for future space exploration, which is incredible," she said.
Renee said as a young girl her goals seemed so out of reach.
"I grew up in regional Queensland… I'm the first in my family to go to university, the first of my family to have an aviation career," she said.
At 15 she joined the air force cadets and said the opportunity 'changed my life forever'.
"You don't understand what opportunities are ahead, and so every time I've made a decision to follow my passion and my purpose, which is to advance the aerospace industry globally, I think that the doors have opened in ways that I couldn't even imagine," she said.
Since then she has worked on the Western Sydney International Airport project, led Qantas Group's First Nations Employment Strategy and is now the director for new market development at biotech company Lanzajet.
She encourages more girls to dream big and join the STEM industry.
"So to me, this is like so dear to my heart, like these women are literally the next generation of leaders that the world needs. It's not 'we want them there'… We need them there."
