Dream Big! Megan Gran Shares Her Passion for Space Engineering!
My passion for Space Engineering started when I was just 10 years old, building my first LEGO Mindstorm robots at school. I told my parents all about it, and they were so supportive of it they immediately got me Arduino Uno microcontrollers and a Raspberry Pi mini computer. All I dreamed about for years was being able to put one of my robots into space.
Fast forward 10 years, and now I’m at York University studying Space Engineering!
I spend my days going to lectures, labs, and working for the BEST Startup Lab at York University. I’ve helped work on York University’s new Innovation and Creativity course, the inaugural SHAD program at York, and the annual STEM Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Canada-Wide Science Fair alumni.
I try to do activities outside of class related to the space field and my interests, including European Space Agency educational opportunities. The first one I attended was Fly a Rocket! this past April!
I was honoured to be one of 24 students from across the world who worked together to launch a rocket at the Andoya Space Center. It was an amazing time, and I can't wait to apply for more opportunities.
As I head into my third year, I am working with a group to start a Space Society at York University, as the space engineering students have an amazing culture that definitely needs to be appreciated as an official club! On top of that, a group of students, including myself, have been asked to help start a 4th year Propulsion Course, by assisting in the decision of how the students should be evaluated, what course materials are relevant, and more. I’m really looking forward to seeing it through, and so honoured that my opinion is valued.
When I was 10, I never thought I’d be a part of the things I am today - but they’re all relevant to me learning more about space engineering, team work, and recognizing how important every opportunity around me is.
Megan Gran is from Sudbury, Ontario. She is a Gold Regional Science Fair Winner and a two-time Bronze Medalist from the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Megan also competed in FIRST. When she was in 8th grade, the Lo-Ellen Robotics Team #4069 saw the robot she built for Science Fair and recruited Megan to go to the FIRST World Competition with them. She is a Schulich Leader Finalist and attends York University's Space Engineering Program. In April, Megan traveled to the Fly a Rocket! Program at the Andoya Space Center. This past summer, Megan was chosen to be a PA for the first ever York University SHAD Program.Her dream is to become an astronaut, and work on rockets, satellites, and spacecraft to further explore the universe :)
You can follow Megan's journey on Instagram & Twitter here - @MegTheSpacie
