PATTI GRACE SMITH FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2026
Huntsville, AL – February 20th, 2026 – The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is proud to announce the selection of twenty-three extraordinary undergraduates for its Class of 2026. This award-winning program connects the nation’s leading aerospace companies with talented students possessing the highest degree of individual merit, aptitude, work ethic, and determination.
Named for the late Patti Grace Smith, a trailblazing leader who headed the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation at the dawn of the commercial space era, the Fellowship has demonstrated particular success recruiting talented students from Black and African-American communities to the aerospace industry.
The Class of 2026 Fellows hail from twenty colleges and universities spread across fifteen states and territories. Each Fellow has earned a cash grant worth thousands of dollars, connections to mentors at multiple levels of the corporate ladder, and entrance into a community of rising aerospace stars and established aerospace leaders. To date, 199 students have been honored as Patti Grace Smith Fellows, receiving more than $540,000 in grants.
Additionally, each fellow has been selected through a highly competitive and open process for a paid internship at one of the nation’s leading aerospace companies, where they will spend this summer testing rocket engines and satellites, developing the next generation of supersonic aircraft, pioneering new techniques for space debris clean-up, overseeing strategic operations and business units, and analyzing aerospace policy impacts, amongst other roles.
“Leaders across the industry, from NASA headquarters to the National Academies to the C-Suites of every space company, are rightfully focused on strengthening the aerospace workforce. We believe this class of Patti Grace Smith Fellows represent the nation’s finest new talent, and we are delighted that they are now part of the aerospace community,” said Tahara Dawkins, a highly-decorated space policy leader who serves on the Executive Board of the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship.
“Every year, our selection process becomes more competitive as we see an incredible depth of talent, passion, and technical aptitude from our candidates. And every year, we see that even in communities that have been underserved and underrepresented for the entire history of aviation and space exploration, the flames of knowledge and passion burn brightly. These students truly represent the best possible future of aerospace, and we are honored to provide them with the platform, community, and resources they need to launch their careers.”
Established in 2020, the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is designed to be a pathway into the industry for students who have not yet had their first major aerospace internship. Candidates are vetted through a rigorous, multi-round selection process that evaluates their professional aptitude, creativity, and commitment to service and leadership.
The Class of 2026 Patti Grace Smith Fellows are:
Suhayb Ali, a Junior at Duke University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Mirion Bell, a Sophomore at the University of Michigan majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Tristan Bernard, a Junior at Northeastern University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Elias Bilal, a Senior at Tufts University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Sean Blondell II, a Junior at Howard University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Maxwell Braithwaite, a Sophomore at the California Institute of Technology majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Paisley Crocker, a Junior at Hampton University majoring in Aviation Management
Alejandro De Jesus Hernandez, a Sophomore at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Tyler Fullilove, a Sophomore at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College majoring in Pre-Engineering and Aerospace Engineering
Paige Gaudet, a Sophomore at Tuskegee University majoring in Aerospace Science Engineering
Eyoel Getahun, a Junior at Stanford University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Trinity Hinton, a Sophomore at Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Rakeem McFarlane, a Sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Kennaissa Nabi, a Junior at Stanford University majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Allen Nunes, a Junior at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Lamarr Olive, a Freshman at Harvey Mudd College majoring in Engineering
Zahrah Ralph, a Sophomore at Arizona State University majoring in Civil Engineering and Marketing
Jasmine Senteza, a Junior at Santa Clara University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Barkot Simegn, a Junior at Northwestern University majoring in Mechanical Engineering
Nia Thompson, a Junior at Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Stephanie Wallen, a Sophomore at the California Institute of Technology majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Business, Economics, and Management
Jasmine Watson, a Sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Sami Yohannes, a Sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder majoring in Computer Science
For more information about the Fellows or to support the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, please visit pgsfellowship.org.
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