Caring for Earth While Reaching for the Stars

In this episode, Sydney Hunt ('23 cohort) and Ashley Yeh ('24 cohort) speak with Alina Santander Vinokurova ('24 cohort) who imagines a world where the aerospace industry serves both humanity and Earth equally. Alina shares about her journey from growing up in Bolivia to pursuing a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford. She also reflects on how climate crises like the Amazon wildfires shaped her vision for an aerospace industry that not only advances exploration but also protects our planet.

Highlights from the episode:

(3:56) Exciting summer plans

(10:53) Journey from Bolivia to Stanford

(17:32) Navigating the application process for university

(21:05) Becoming interested in engineering, aerospace, and climate tech

(38:06) Being a Knight-Hennessy Scholar

(50:17) Competing in the NASA Rover Challenge and other improbable facts