A winding road to aerospace excellence
Name: Liza Graybill
Hometown: Lititz, Pennsylvania
Major: BS in Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Year: Sophomore
Where did you grow up, and when did you first show an interest in aerospace?
I grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and I fell in love with aerospace when I visited Kennedy Space Center after I graduated from high school. Seeing Space Shuttle Atlantis in person was the first time I can definitively say I became interested in aerospace.
I loved space growing up and spent many nights stargazing, but I had never considered aerospace, or engineering in general, until that moment in Cape Canaveral.
How did you come to the decision to major in aerospace?
The decision to major in aerospace took quite a bit of time to reach. The major I had chosen right out of high school was not as good a fit as I had imagined, so I left after a semester and restarted with some community college classes. I took my time, taking just one or two classes a semester while I figured out what I really wanted to do.
I started tutoring math at my community college and tried an introductory engineering class at the suggestion of a professor. Long story short, I graduated with my associates in pre-engineering from Pima Community College in Arizona and transferred to CU Boulder to continue in aerospace.
I finally combined my childhood love of space with engineering and made that a reality here at CU Boulder.
Why did you decide to come to CU Boulder?
I decided to come to CU Boulder because I knew this program would challenge me.
The faculty is incredible, there are so many resources available to support students, and I knew that CU Boulder would show me new opportunities and possibilities that I otherwise would not have thought to pursue. That support and encouragement led me to applying and earning a spot as a 2022 Brooke Owens Fellow.
What do you love about CU Boulder?
I love that people care. There’s passion and collaboration among peers to reach success, and students are excited to learn.
The atmosphere in the aerospace building is unlike anything else on campus. It’s an incredible environment to learn in and be a part of.