Sarine Mardirosian CC'26 has been named a Brooke Owens fellow, and Claudio Solano SEAS'25, Isabella Singleton SEAS'27, and Jonathan Pierre SEAS'27 have been named Patti Grace Smith fellows.
Sarine Mardirosian CC'26 is a junior majoring in Astrophysics and minoring in Math. Sarine works in the Dean Lab doing experimental condensed matter research, and cares deeply about the accessibility of STEM education. She has been involved in TechTrek, a STEM summer camp for girls sponsored by the American Association of University Women. Sarine currently serves as a Co-Director of Outreach for the Columbia Space Initiative (CSI), where she works with other Columbia students to provide hands-on STEM curriculum and programming to NYC Public Schools. She was also recently elected to serve as Co-President of the Columbia Space Initiative, and is eager to continue CSI’s incredible work alongside her fellow team members. This summer, as a Brooke Owens fellow, Sarine will work as a FreeFlyer Intern working with Orbital Dynamics at a.i. solutions.
Claudio Solano SEAS'25 is a senior from Puerto Rico studying Mechanical Engineering. He works as a machinist superuser in the Mechanical Engineering teaching lab, where he helps students with machining projects and keeps the shop running smoothly after hours. He is also an active member of the Columbia Space Initiative (CSI), contributing to both the Rockets and High-Altitude Balloons teams. He developed his passion for aerospace through photography and filmmaking and is now the principal photographer for CSI, while also shooting student films and freelance photography. Next year, he will continue at Columbia for a master’s in Mechanical Engineering. With his fellowship, Claudio will work as a mechanical engineer Gravitics this summer, collaborating with a team to design, prototype, and test innovative components for novel commercial space stations.
Isabella Singleton, SEAS'27, studies Mechanical Engineering. She developed a passion for aerospace engineering at a young age, sparked by a fascination with model rockets. As a member of the Columbia Space Initiative, Isabella serves as Co-lead of the Rocket Airframe and Recovery Team, where she oversees the design and construction of the rocket fins as well as the recovery system, and is an active member of Columbia’s Formula Racing Team. In the summer of 2024, Isabella served as a Summer Student Leader for Columbia Engineering Outreach's SHAPE program, where she was a teaching assistant for a robotics course and led an aerospace course. With her fellowship at Joby in California this summer, Isabella will work in composite manufacturing.
Jonathan Pierre SEAS'27 is a second-year Haitian student from Miami, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. Jonathan is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and serves as a student representative on Columbia's Engineering Student Council. Beyond his academic interests, Jonathan performs with Sabor, Columbia’s Latin dance team, and Ijoya, Columbia African dance team. As a Patti Grace Smith Fellow, Jonathan is eager to immerse himself in hands-on experiences within the aerospace industry through his summer internship with Relativity Space.
The
Brooke Owens fellowship is a nationally-acclaimed and award-winning fellowship that honors exceptional students in
aerospace. Fellows are recognized for their talent, leadership experience, commitment to service, and creativity. The application process is months-long, and involves technical and creative submissions, several rounds of interviews, and reviews from commercial
aerospace companies. This year, the fellowship received over 400 applications, ultimately selecting 44 students as winners. Fellows are matched with an executive-level mentor, peer mentor, and complete a summer-long internship at a "Brookie" company as a part of their award.
The
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship provides students in
aerospace with prestigious summer
aerospace internships, a scholarship for educational expenses, and personalized mentorship through a network of like-minded fellows. The application process involves two additional rounds of interviews on top of typical internship applications, and identifies awardees that demonstrate professional aptitude, proven leadership qualities, and a strong commitment to their community. This year, the applicant pool nearly doubled from previous fellowship iterations, and Columbia students represent three of the 35 selected fellows.
