Aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe returns to inspire at TEDxWCC

Sofia Oganezova

Staff Writer

Before becoming an astronaut, Aisha Bowe was told by a high school advisor that she would be a cosmetologist.

Not long after, she found herself in a pre-algebra class at WCC: far from the path that would eventually lead her to aerospace engineering and, ultimately, space.

After her time at WCC, Bowe transferred to the University of Michigan, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in space systems engineering. Bowe later worked as a rocket scientist at NASA before launching her own technology companies focused on STEM education.

On Apr. 14, 2025, Bowe made history as part of an all-female crew with Blue Origin, traveling to space and becoming one of the few Black women to do so.

A year later, on Apr. 9, Bowe returned to the Morris Lawrence Building as a featured speaker at TEDxWCC, sharing how her uncertain beginnings at WCC shaped her journey and encouraging students to challenge the limits placed on them.

“Being in community college was really important because I talked to people who were at different phases in their life,” Bowe said. “Some had children, some felt like they could have graduated earlier but didn’t. It gave me a real-life perspective. I understood what was at stake.”

For Bowe, that environment helped shape both her mindset and her motivation. Surrounded by students balancing responsibilities and second chances, she began to see her own education differently.

“I realized I really needed to do this for me,” Bowe said. “I had to do it for my family and for what I was going to become.”

That sense of purpose became central to how Bowe approached both her education and her future.

“I wish people would ask me more ‘Why?’ Bowe said. “The ‘why’ for me is creating things that are a direct response to things I didn’t have growing up.”

Bowe’s journey did not begin with certainty. In fact, she said her decision to pursue aerospace engineering came from doubt rather than confidence.

“I decided to study aerospace not because I thought I could do it, but because I thought I couldn’t,” Bowe said.

Rather than letting doubt stop her, Bowe used it as motivation to push herself further.

“I didn’t think about all the things that people told me I couldn’t, I wouldn’t, I shouldn’t, or I can’t,” Bowe Said “And I think that’s the message because the world is full of people who will tell you what you can’t do.” 

That decision became a turning point. By choosing a path that challenged her, Bowe said she was forced to rethink her own limits.

“By stretching myself — by having a goal that scared me — it forced me to redefine how I thought about myself, my potential, and my life,” Bowe said.

Her message resonated with many WCC students who are still exploring their futures. That mindset is something Bowe now encourages students to adopt in their own lives.

“We set a goal, and we reach for what we think is reasonable,” Bowe said. “Why?”

That question, she explained, became a guiding principle — one that led her from a pre-algebra class at WCC to a career in aerospace and, finally, to space.

“I always say, don’t tell people your dreams — show them,” Bowe said. “Everything that I’ve created has been something that someone has initially laughed at.”

Now, as she travels globally sharing her story, Bowe said she hopes WCC students recognize their own potential in her journey.

“Be yourself,” Bowe said. “The world will adjust.”

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