Brooke Owens Fellowship opens applications

The Brooke Owens Fellowship Program has opened applications for its 2027 class, with submissions due October 4, according to the nonprofit’s application page and a September 1 blog post. The program is open to undergraduate women and gender-minority students interested in aerospace and aviation, including students from all majors. (brookeowensfellowship.org) Selected fellows receive a summer internship at a host company, one-on-one mentorship from industry professionals and access to a professional development summit. The fellowship said the incoming group will be its 11th class. ### Who can actually apply? The fellowship says applicants must be undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of coursework toward a bachelor’s or associate degree, are at least 18 years old, identify as a woman or gender minority, and are interested in an aerospace career. (brookeowensfellowship.org) Engineering and non-engineering fields are both eligible, according to the application page. The program’s September 1 announcement also says the application is available to students of all college majors. The application materials frame the program as intentionally broader than a standard technical internship funnel. The fellowship says it designed the process to “celebrate talent in all its forms” and to give a fair shot to students who may be overlooked by traditional pathways. (brookeowensfellowship.org) ### What do fellows get if they are selected? Accepted fellows are placed in a summer internship with a host company, the program says. They also receive one-on-one mentorship from professionals in their field of interest and attend a professional development summit with the rest of their class. Will Pomerantz, a co-founder of the fellowship, said the program began as a way “to honor a friend” and help identify and train a new generation of aerospace leaders. (brookeowensfellowship.org) In the same announcement, he said host companies have repeatedly told the organization that fellows were among their strongest interns in years. ### How large is the fellowship now? Since its founding, the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program says it has accepted 418 undergraduate students from nearly 40 U.S. states and territories and 10 countries. The organization also says 124 companies have hosted fellows for summer internships and 105 mentors have participated in the program. (brookeowensfellowship.org) The fellowship’s website says it was founded in 2016 after the death of Dawn Brooke Owens, a pilot, space policy expert and industry professional whose legacy the organization was created to honor. The site says the program was established to address a historic gender imbalance in aerospace. (brookeowensfellowship.org) ### Why does the application page emphasize starting early? The application page says the process includes “a few unique prompts and requirements” in addition to standard materials such as a resume or CV. It advises applicants to read the page carefully and begin early because some components take time to prepare. The fellowship also uses the page to push back against self-selection out of the process. (brookeowensfellowship.org) It tells prospective applicants not to let impostor syndrome stop them from applying, adding that past fellows nearly talked themselves out of it as well. ### Where is the next deadline and what happens before it? September 1 marked the opening of the application window, and October 4 is the closing date listed on the fellowship’s site. (brookeowensfellowship.org) The application page also links to virtual info sessions, recorded sessions and additional application resources for prospective candidates before the deadline. (brookeowensfellowship.org 1) (brookeowensfellowship.org 2)