Last month a nonprofit that recognizes exceptional undergraduate women and gender minorities with space and aviation internships, the Brooke Owens Fellowship, announced its latest class of “Brookies.”
This ninth class of 45 students was selected from more than 400 applications, and they will fan out to aerospace companies across the country, from large firms such as SpaceX and Blue Origin to smaller startups like Vast and Stoke. There they will be paired with executive-level mentors who will help launch their careers.
However there was a cloud hanging over this latest group of exceptional students: They may be the last class of Brookies to receive aerospace internships.
“Ten years ago this was embraced by everyone, and seen as a win-win for all,” said Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA and co-founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship. “But we’re not sure we can continue under the new administration.”
DEI is DOA
The reason for this is an executive order signed by President Trump on January 20 to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, or DEI. “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great,” the order states.
The Brooke Owens Fellowship, as well as other similar programs such as the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship for black undergraduates, partner with companies in the industry. The fellowship organizers screen hundreds of applications, creating a pool from which the companies can hire whomever they like as interns and provide mentorship. Most of the agreements for the 2025 class of “Brookies” were signed with companies prior to the issuance of the executive order. Another organization that promotes diverse internships, the Zed Factor Fellowship, started its screening process a little later and recently told prospective applicants it had made the “heartbreaking” decision to halt its selection of 2025 fellowships.
