ABOUT KARA

Hi! I am a senior at UC Berkeley (May 2026 grad) studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering and pursuing two business certificates in Entrepreneurship (SCET) and Changemaking (Berkeley Changemaker) 🚀

Here's a summary of me and my experience:

👩🏻‍💻 I have experience working in both fast-paced and safety-critical work environments (13+ months of internship experience total). As an engineer, I prioritize feedback, organization, and documentation.

2x internships at VAST (Summer 2024, part-time Fall 2024, Summer 2025) as an ECLSS Life Support Systems Engineering Intern, focusing on flight-scale test setups, ATP/QTP campaign planning, and safety-critical GSE designs. 🌎
Internship at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Summer 2023) as a Systems Integration and Test Engineering Intern (386C) for Instrument Electronics on missions like Europa Clipper, CRISTAL, Carbon Plume Mapper, and SMICES. 🛰️

💫 I'm a Brooke Owens Fellow (c/o 2025), and I currently give back to the fellowship community as a volunteer on the Application Selection Committee and as an Alumni Mentor for c/o 2026 Brookies.

📚 On the side, I coach/tutor high school students for the competitive Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and its regional/state fairs- a competition I also competed in (and published my research through) during high school, so this is a fun, full-circle way to give back to students in STEM!

👩🏻‍🏫 I am also a course reader/teaching assistant for the UC Berkeley MechE Mechatronics Design capstone (ME102B) and an Undergraduate Business Administration entrepreneurship course!

🪐 With a want to provide more aerospace opportunities for undergrads, I co-founded UC Berkeley's American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) student branch, served as an advisor for SpaceForm (space materials science club), and currently hold a leadership role as an Outreach Liaison for the UC Berkeley Association of Women in Aerospace.

⛷️ My hobbies include weightlifting, skiing, growing cool plants, cooking & baking, trail-running & hiking, beach volleyball, and trying new coffee shops in the Bay Area.