Zenith Fellow Mentee, Class of 2023
University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
Mentor: Sarah Picot

Jess is a student at the University of Western Ontario currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a dual degree in Computer Science.

She is passionate about all things space, specifically pioneering industries and continuous improvement. Jess is determined to make the space industry accessible for everyone, and is thankful for the opportunity organizations like Zenith are providing.

Originally from Kingston, ON, Jess loves competition and the ability to improve her own skills. She was introduced to basketball at 7 years old and continued to compete at a high level all throughout school and beyond. This experience sparked her love for innovation and improvement, along with her existing love for math and science, which proved a perfect fit for the space industry.

For the duration of her University experience, Jess has been involved on her Rocketry Team at Western University. As Propulsion lead in 2021-22, she helped the team accomplish their first successful launch at the Spaceport America Cup, in the 10K ft COTS category. This year, Jess is the Aerostructures lead and is improving her skills working with composites, such as carbon forging, vacuum infusions, and wet layups. She also is gaining experience working with the CNC mill and lathe. This year the team will be entering the 30K ft COTS category at the Spaceport America Cup in July.

Jess is also involved in her school's orientation program. She has volunteered for two years as a faculty orientation leader to aid the transition of first-year engineers to university. She was head of the academic committee this year, which leads review sessions, the discipline fair, and the distribution of resources to first-year students.

Using her experiences, knowledge within her degree, and love for space, Jess believes that she will make an impactful and passionate addition to the industry. She is so excited to be a Zenith Mentee this year and to work at Honeywell Aerospace as a Systems Engineering Intern.