UNM alumna looking to recruit students, mentors, sponsors for space development project

University of New Mexico alumna Raven Delfina Otero-Symphony has her eyes on the skies and is hoping others will join in her interest in space research. Otero-Symphony has developed a leadership and accessibility project to make space development and activity understandable and accessible for all New Mexicans.

Space Collegiate Opportunities & Pathways for Excellence, New Mexico-or SCOPE-NM for short-works to raise awareness of and accessibility to local space activity; to cultivate a stronger space workforce for New Mexico; to improve local accessibility to space education and career opportunities in New Mexico and beyond; and to showcase a variety of space resources for educational, professional, and communal purposes.

Otero-Symphony is currently a data science consultant at Quilty Space working with data science for product development and visualization and high-level consulting. Quilty Space is a financial and research boutique for the satellite industry. She is also still attached to UNM as the youngest advisory board member on the UNM Space Sustainability Research Grand Challenge (SSR-GC), which works to expand New Mexico's scientific, creative, and economic horizons beyond Earth through university, commercial, and national lab collaboration.

"New Mexico is one-of-a-kind, and we all deserve to know what's going on in our back yard. It is said that we were able to reach outer space because we chose to be bold and push the bounds of what we can do. SCOPE-NM is pushing the boundaries for what it means to be inclusive, and what space is really all about."

- Raven Otero-Symphony

In addition, she was recently chosen to be the NASA Space Apps Challenge local lead for Albuquerque. The NASA Space Apps Challenge is the world's largest hackathon and this is the first time Albuquerque is participating. Any Student Delegates who join the Fall 2024 Cohort will get to participate in the hackathon on Oct. 5-6 and get more involved if they would like.

"SCOPE-NM is all about accessibility. Anyone can visit the website to learn about space development and find resources to get involved. Our SCOPE-NM cohort works with students who are curious about how space is affecting New Mexico and beyond," Otero-Symphony explained.

Otero-Symphony contends that space education is important because the space sector is changing and modern life is governed by space development and activity.

"Satellites enable modern essentials like electricity and navigation, not just phones-think cargo ships and roads-and collect data on things like global temperatures, wildfire activity, and water supply. But just as space activity can be beneficial, it can also be immensely harmful. Space has no borders, and it is critical that we bring as many people as possible to the table when discussing what space does and how it should look-especially when it is already here in our communities."

Otero-Symphony is searching for high school seniors, undergraduate students, or recent graduates who are curious about space, but don't know much about it or how to get involved. These students are known as Student Delegates. The SCOPE-NM cohort will consist of two Student Delegates per New Mexico educational institution. The program is designed to be virtual, students can be based anywhere in the state, although so far, the applicants are based in the Albuquerque area.

"I am also looking for professional mentors for our Student Delegates. Mentors don't have to be from New Mexico. Some of my best mentors are from around the world, and I'd love for students to get similar exposure. Mentors must have professional experience with the space sector, whether that's engineering, education, business or something else."

"And finally, I am looking for sponsors and partners who can help turn this grassroots project into an official program," she added.

Student delegates
Student Delegates become space leaders in their communities.

"I am effectively teaching them everything I know about the space sector. Delegates will complete two workshops per month on career-readiness skills, space domain knowledge, and activities to proactively fill the gaps in New Mexico when it comes to space leadership. For example, did you know that New Mexico doesn't have a single student chapter from one of the most prominent space organizations in the world? I want a delegate to be the first to start that chapter."

"A big thank you to 2022-2023 Student Delegates Collin Nesbit and Giovanni Cordova for their invaluable contributions to SCOPE-NM and their own space leadership!" Otero-Symphony said. Nesbit is a Mechanical Engineering graduate student interested in the development of efficient launch vehicles, in-orbit assembly, and human spaceflight. Cordova is a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Honors). He is interested in the hardware and software surrounding robotic manipulation.

Mentors
Mentors dedicate one hour per month to answer Student Delegate questions about a day-in-the-life working for the space sector. The purpose is for students to get a head-start on the opportunities--and roadblocks--they may face if they choose to pursue this path. It is another perspective outside of coursework and internships to help make important career decisions.

Sponsors
Sponsors and community donations help SCOPE-NM to expand operations, maintain the website, and improve marketing campaigns to reach students in rural and other traditionally underrepresented areas.

How much experience do students need to get into SCOPE-NM?
"None! The SCOPE-NM Cohort is designed for students with little to no experience in the space sector. This is not a highly technical program. I am looking for people who care about New Mexico. Whether you love space, or have your doubts, this program is for you."

"This is for you!" she continued. "SCOPE-NM is a grassroots project and a labor of love. It was born out of the need to improve local accessibility for educational and workforce opportunities. Space solutions are being built in our backyard, but how many New Mexicans really have access to that? And if they do, is it a viable option? The space industry at-large is encouraging expansive DEI&A efforts, but SCOPE-NM is really the first project I've seen that tackles accessibility and inclusivity issues at the state level, rather than one demographic at a time."

Otero-Symphony's vision for SCOPE-NM is that it will become a statewide program.

"Similar to the way that fellowship programs such as Brooke Owens, El Puente and U-RISE (formerly MARC) uplifted me toward the career that I have now. In an ideal world, SCOPE-NM would become SCOPE-Your Community to tackle local issues-perhaps more than space-at a very granular level anywhere in the world."

At the very least, Otero-Symphony hopes SCOPE-NM visitors walk away learning something new and asking questions.

"New Mexico is actively building educational programs and a workforce to accommodate the national call issued by the White House. New Mexico is one-of-a-kind, and we all deserve to know what's going on in our back yard. It is said that we were able to reach outer space because we chose to be bold and push the bounds of what we can do. SCOPE-NM is pushing the boundaries for what it means to be inclusive, and what space is really all about."

Otero-Symphony's childhood dream was to travel to space but she kids that she's becoming afraid of heights now.

"Jokes aside, I would love an opportunity to fly out of Spaceport America someday. I was able to see a launch in October 2023, and I knew some of the folks onboard because I went searching with SCOPE-NM. But probably sooner than that, my goal is to become an elected official here in New Mexico in my 20s. I really care about the people and our historic communities. I'm in this for us."

For more information and to apply as a Student Delegate, Mentor, or Sponsor/Partnership, go to the SCOPE-NM website. Follow @scope_nm on Instagram.

Application deadline for the SCOPE-NM Fall cohort is Sept. 1.

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