2022 UNITED SPACE SCHOOL STUDENT

MEET GABRIELLE SEAL

2021 was the first year that Western Canada did not send a delegate to the United Space School in about 2 decades, and we're so pleased to be participating again. We're excited to announce the 2022 delegate, Gabrielle Seal. We'll let her introduce herself to you in her own words: 

Hello! I am Gabrielle, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student from Calgary, Alberta. I was first captivated by the unparalleled beauty of space while stargazing in the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains. I started fashioning pinhole cameras to observe the "Great American Solar Eclipse" and, later, homopolar motors to play around with magnetic fields. Online videos of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield operating ISS exercise systems and Canadarm2 piqued my interest in space robotics. I joined FIRST Lego League and then FIRST Technology Challenge, where I learned to design, construct, and program autonomous and remote-controlled robots. One year, my teammates and I also designed a 'Modular Anti-atrophy Resistance Spacesuit' (conveniently nicknamed MARS) that combats bone deterioration with exercise and works in conjunction with existing ISS exercise equipment.

This year, I am taking my first "real" physics course. I am translating my love for physics into two research projects: a synchrotron investigation of selenium contamination near local coal mines and a catalogue of peculiar hydrogen clouds in the Milky Way! In my spare time, I like to create mixed-media art and read poetry – interests that I connect to my school's literary magazine as an editor and graphic designer. I am also learning to speak, read, and write in Mandarin. Someday I hope to travel abroad and put these skills to use in a career.

My experiences have exposed me to the exciting world of robotic engineering, programming, astronomy, and physics, and fuel my interest in pursuing similar fields of study in the future. I heard about the FISE United Space School and The Hangar Flight Museum's sponsorship rather serendipitously on the radio, and immediately, I was ardent about applying. USS will surely be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can't wait to get started on the pre-course material and am counting down the days until the course starts in the summer. I know that gaining first-hand experience with the aerospace industry, learning from field experts, discussing common interests with fellow students, and forging new connections with people from all over the world will reaffirm my passion for space science. I've never been more excited! I am immensely grateful to The Hangar Flight Museum and FISE for this extraordinary opportunity.