Carolina Cano Moreno (’24) came to CBU with the goal of flying high in her future career — and, as she approaches graduation, she is fully prepared for lift-off.
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Carolina Cano Moreno (’24) moved to the United States with her parents and her sister at the age of 13. She became interested in aerospace engineering while attending high school at Wake Early College of Health and Sciences in Raleigh, NC — which is partnered with Wake Technical Community College, where she earned associate degrees in Engineering and Mathematics. In 2021, she received an Opportunity Scholarship from TheDream.US and came to CBU to further her education with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics.
Carolina has been active in CBU student organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Hispanic Student Association. She currently serves as president of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Society of Women Engineers. She has also worked as an intern at Peak+, a local energy solutions company, since February 2022.
“My main goal has always been getting involved in the aerospace industry,” she said. “This goal led me to getting involved with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as a student member.”
That involvement has led to numerous honors and activities within the Institute, including her selection as an AIAA Diversity Scholar. The mission of the AIAA Diversity Scholars Program is to provide opportunities for underrepresented minority students to attend AIAA forums and events, make connections, and form lifelong relationships with colleagues in industry, academia, and government. As a Diversity Scholar, Carolina was selected to attend the 2022 ASCEND (Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery) Conference in Las Vegas — with all expenses paid. The conference hosted over 1,200 attendees and 380 speakers, plus 40 sponsors and partners, for 148 sessions across three days of programming.
One of the things I’ve loved the most at CBU has been this close relationship that I have built with all of my professors.
“While attending ASCEND, I got to interact with people who hold some of the highest ranks in the aerospace industry,” she explained. “These included Space Force generals, astronauts, lead engineers from various companies, and project managers for projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope. Most of them took the time to sit down to talk to me and offer their advice and encouragement for continuing to pursue a career in this field. During this time, I got interviewed by one of the media team members for the closing ceremony video, and this led to being invited to the AIAA’s Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition in June 2023.”
The Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA AVIATION Forum) was held in San Diego, CA. During this event, Carolina seamlessly integrated into the media team, contributing significantly to crafting engaging content for the official social media channels. Additionally, she took center stage by moderating a panel focused on young professionals, sharing her insights and inspiration. Her position extended further as she took on the role of a mentor, providing guidance and support to the new cohort of AIAA Diversity Scholars.
Throughout both conferences, Carolina had the privilege of connecting with an array of accomplished professionals hailing from renowned companies such as Boeing, NASA, and Lockheed Martin. These seasoned experts graciously extended their hand as mentors, generously sharing invaluable advice, recounting their personal experiences, and revealing upcoming opportunities.
While attending ASCEND, I got to interact with people who hold some of the highest ranks in the aerospace industry. These included Space Force generals, astronauts, lead engineers from various companies, and project managers for projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
“Since I attended the first conference at ASCEND, I was also selected to participate in two NASA academies called the L’SPACE Mission Concept Academy and the NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience,” Carolina added. The L’SPACE Academy an online, 15-week program open to undergraduate STEM students interested in pursuing a career with NASA or other space organizations, in which students receive mission development skills training from NASA scientists and engineers and collaborate with other students to design a mission-related team project. The NPWEE is a 12-week online program which teaches students to effectively write a concept proposal that turns innovative ideas into reality and to gain experience in the process of writing, reviewing, and scoring proposals through the lens of a NASA reviewer.
Carolina credits her education at CBU for her recent successes in the professional aerospace industry. “One of the things I’ve loved the most at CBU has been this close relationship that I have built with all of my professors,” she said. “In Mechanical Engineering, we typically have the same professors every semester, and it’s gotten to the point where they know me, and I know them well. They’re all extremely helpful, patient, supportive, and they have all worked closely with me since my very first semester.
“I also have some great classmates. Given that it’s like six of us taking the exact same classes every single semester, we’ve learned to help each other and work with each other. We study for exams together, collaborate on projects, pull all-nighters, and explain things to each other as needed.”
“Carolina has exhibited excellent academic performance since she joined us at CBU,” said Dr. Paul Shiue, Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering Department. “In my own sincere estimation, she is a truly outstanding young engineer who will undoubtedly continue to make substantial contributions to her chosen engineering area.”
Carolina has selected the SAE Aero Design competition as her Senior Project for her Mechanical Engineering degree. The Aero Design competition is a collegiate aircraft design series in which students demonstrate their technical acumen to industry-leading judges and compete in three categories: written, oral, and aircraft performance. “I am leading my team to design and build a remote-control airplane,” she explained. “In Spring 2024, we will go to Lakeland, FL and compete for SAE International, a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries.”
Having been interested in aviation and aerospace since her high-school days, Carolina Cano Moreno has successfully used her coursework at CBU to become well-prepared to fulfill her dreams and to help build an off-world future for herself and for all of humanity.
