Her Story
About Sophia
Sophia Yu is a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati pursuing aerospace engineering with a specialization in AI applications within the space domain and astrodynamics. She grew up in Findlay, Ohio, attended Findlay High School, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, and transitioned to the University of Cincinnati for her graduate work, where she is now in her second year of the PhD program. Her research includes projects on autonomous robot navigation in confined spaces and various astrodynamics initiatives. Sophia published her first paper and presented the work at an astrodynamics conference in Whistler, British Columbia, an experience she describes as the culmination of years of focused effort. Outside her studies, she has dedicated three to four years to volunteering with the Engineering Tomorrow nonprofit, delivering engineering outreach sessions via Zoom to high schools across the United States to inspire the next generation of engineers. She attributes her success to her supportive family and a commitment to hard work while maintaining a strong sense of personal identity and values.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sophia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely say my support system, so I have a really awesome family, and they've been so supportive throughout my entire time growing up, and they've supported me with all of my dreams and aspirations. I would definitely say my family has been a big help, and then also just remembering who I am and working really hard.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If your dreams don't scare you, they are big enough. Because especially working in space, a lot of things seem really unachievable. So it's good to dream big, and if things don't seem crazy, then they're probably not, you're probably not dreaming big enough. So my dad always told me that growing up.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'm the only female my lab has had in a really long time. I'm oftentimes the only girl. At first, that was really scary, just being around only men, and oftentimes older men too. The biggest challenge is just figuring out how to navigate that kind of environment and how to hold yourself to be taken seriously.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say hard work, and just remembering who you are as a person. It's really easy especially in engineering to get into the mindset where you're just grinding. So it's good to take a step back and remember that we're all actually people and then we have morals and values.
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