‘I want girls to be able to realise their dream of becoming an astronaut’
All her life, American-Dutch Mindy Howard has wanted to become an astronaut. A dream that, sadly, also brought her a lot of negative reactions. To encourage teenage girls not to give up on a similar dream, she founded the Cosmic Girls Foundation. The foundation offers free webinars, engineering programmes and, above all, an international community of girls with the same interest in space travel. ‘I want to show them they’re not alone. You go, girl!’
Mindy’s story begins in New York, where she grew up. That’s where her dream of becoming one of the few female astronauts was born. ‘For me, space travel means more than just a journey into space. It’s about daring to dream big and then doing everything in your power to make that dream a reality.’ One of those steps was a PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology. ‘I needed that piece of paper to become an astronaut,’ she admits honestly. She then embarked on a career at Shell. Meanwhile, she didn’t give up on her dream: she applied to NASA and made it to the final 200 candidates. ‘I was rejected in the draw and was just incredibly unlucky.’ Later, she came very close to realising her dream on a few more occasions. For instance, she was due to go on a commercial space flight, but the coronavirus pandemic threw a spanner in the works.
Laughed at for her dream
Despite those setbacks, Mindy never let go of her dream. Remarkable, because she didn’t receive much support. ‘I was often laughed at when I told colleagues or other acquaintances that I wanted to become an astronaut. “Who do you think you are?” or “Be realistic”: these are comments I won’t forget in a hurry. I think my dream was too intimidating for them.’ Ultimately, these reactions were the reason Mindy started the Cosmic Girls Foundation. ‘I want other girls to feel more supported. In our community, they feel at home and seen. We reach girls aged fourteen to nineteen all over the world, including from countries where space travel is less commonplace, such as Ethiopia and even Afghanistan. I find that truly special, especially when I hear that our community has changed their lives.’ For one of the girls, the foundation is even making her greatest wish come true: the winner of a competition is actually going on a space trip.
More girls in engineering
Through her foundation, Mindy encourages girls to pursue a career in engineering. ‘There are growing labour shortages in that sector, including here in the Brainport region. The strange thing is: there really are girls with an affinity for technology, but they drop out at various points in their lives. Puberty is one such moment. Girls are afraid of not being popular if they show an interest in technology.’ Those who do go on to study engineering are often among the few: only seventeen per cent of engineering students are women. According to Mindy, there is another drop-out point in working life too. ‘At the start of your career, as a woman you often have to prove yourself even more. That creates pressure. Some therefore choose a different career path.’
Tip for teachers
According to Mindy, as a teacher or lecturer, you can help reduce the likelihood of a drop-off point. ‘I’ve now heard from many women in engineering that their self-confidence
has been damaged at some point. So be mindful of your choice of words. Some comments seem harmless, but can have a huge impact. Sometimes they’re packaged as a compliment, but actually feel like an insult. Think of: ‘What a good physics mark for a girl.’ Instead, give genuine compliments and help build their self-confidence.’ She also recommends letting girls discover what they enjoy and broadening their horizons. ‘Engineering is a very broad field. If space travel doesn’t appeal to you, coding might.’
Girls’ Day
One way to broaden that world is by joining the VHTO Girls’ Day at the Brainport Industries Campus. On 14 April, around 130 girls aged ten to fifteen will be introduced to technology through workshops. Through her foundation, Mindy is also running a workshop in which participants design a mission to Mars. She is also the keynote speaker. ‘It’s great that Girls’ Day exists, giving girls a safe space to discover what they enjoy. What’s more, they see that they’re not the only ones interested in technology. Still, I hope that in a few years’ time, Girls’ Day won’t be necessary anymore and that more girls will find their way into the world of technology.’
The future of space, innovation and STEM is built not only by technology, but by the dreams of the next generation. So, are you of that age and do you feel that curiosity about space, technology or science? Join the Cosmic Girls Foundation (www.cosmicgirls.org) and discover just how big your world can be.