So You Want To Be An Astronaut - with Nina Hooper

In this episode of Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with Nina Hooper, an Australian woman, Aerospace Engineer, Harvard and Stanford graduate and Education Entrepreneur.

Nina is a female mentor and the co-founder and CEO of Abrility – an online presentation platform to help educators bring their material to life and deliver interactive classes and workshops.

Nina has always loved adventure and is fascinated with outer space - how the universe worked and where it came from. She was very good at, and rather competitive in maths & science – so much so that she got obsessed with astrophysics and the idea of becoming an astronaut.

Nina tells us about the role various mentors had played in her career, and how her mom’s signature question helped opened doors to her path to becoming an astronaut.

Shonelle and Nina discuss the importance of career choice and that its okay to take risks but you have to be prepared work harder than you ever expected. They highlight the importance of surrounding yourself with people that believe in what you do and share your values. We learn that it is important to not be afraid to ask for help and utilise any resources that are within your grasp.

Finally, they discuss the impact of Abrility and how they are aiming to expand the program to help as many children as possible.