Cozy Roskelley

I highly recommend the fellowship to any student interested in a STEM career. This mentorship program was an eye-opening experience that deepened my passion for STEM. The many incredible and inspiring mentors gave me insight into real-world STEM careers, many of which I had not considered, and showed me how I could make an impact. The fellowship provided me with the opportunity to explore various fields of STEM, hear from knowledgeable mentors who are successful in their field, learn about additional STEM opportunities for my age group, and more. It was amazing to connect with like-minded students my age interested in pursuing a career in STEM. I felt welcomed and encouraged to explore new ideas and push my skills with exciting and challenging projects, and I left the fellowship feeling even more motivated, confident, and prepared to pursue a career in STEM. I’m so grateful for this once in a lifetime experience. The fellowship is a wonderfully supportive community where you will make connections, explore, and grow. The fellowship provided me with invaluable knowledge, preparing me for high school, university, and beyond. Thank you for a truly life-changing experience!

Cozy Roskelley is a student from California with a deep passion for space science and astrophysics. A few years ago, Cozy watched a documentary on space and has fallen in love with the field! Recently, she has been competing in the NSS Space Settlement Science competition, where her team is designing an innovative space settlement. In addition, Cozy was elected the student body co-president of the Astra Nova School, and she has been working on several initiatives to bring STEM speakers to the school. Outside of school, Cozy enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, and listening to music.

During the fellowship, Cozy was inspired by one of the Fireside Chats to start a Women in STEM podcast, where she interviews professionals to spotlight their journeys and achievements. Read on to learn more about Cozy, her passion for space science, and the new podcast she has been working on!

Meet Cozy

How did you initially become interested in STEM?

I've always really liked watching science documentaries. A few years ago, I watched a documentary on space science called The Universe, and it really sparked my interest. After that, I started taking a bunch of science classes and doing additional research on space science and other fields of STEM. For example, I took several science classes on OutSchool, including one on medicine and anatomy, another on engineering, and one on computer science. I also explored multiple space science topics, like astrophysics, cosmology, and even a class specifically about stars and the sun.

What fields of STEM are you the most excited about?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm really interested in space science, specifically astrophysics. I'm also fascinated by medicine, particularly CRISPR and genetic engineering. My interest in CRISPR began last year when my school offered some great biology classes. One class focused on bioethics, and we spent a good portion of it discussing CRISPR and genetic engineering. one of the creators of CRISPR-Cas9, Emmanuelle Charpentier, spoke at our school, and it was very inspiring. That was such an incredible experience! I’m drawn to CRISPR and genetic engineering because it’s such a rapidly advancing field, and it has the potential to help so many people.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in, and how do you enjoy spending your time outside of school?

This year, I was elected student body co-president of my school, which has been super fun and really exciting. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy it. I’m also part of the NSS Space Settlement Science competition, which has been an amazing experience. For the competition, we’re tasked with designing a space settlement that could either be on a planet or floating in space. We have to figure out how it would function, and it’s been a great way to apply STEM knowledge to something practical and creative.

Outside of school, I love hiking, swimming, reading, and listening to music. Hiking while listening to music is one of my favorite combinations! Some of my favorite artists are Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Summer Experience

What was your favorite part about the fellowship?

My favorite part would have to be the deliverables and the ideathons — they were such a fun opportunity to practice what we learned in the Fireside Chats and even some of the Career Panels. My favorite deliverable would have to be Isabella’s, where we got to design our own passion projects and turn our ‘ideas into reality.’ Her Fireside Chat and deliverable helped me come up with an idea to create a Women in STEM podcast, which I’ve been working on. I also really enjoyed the time management deliverable, where we created spreadsheets to map out how we use our time. That exercise was incredibly helpful.

As for the ideathons, my favorite was the pitch deck competition. It was such a valuable learning experience, and I’ve already been able to apply the skills I learned multiple times this school year. I’m taking a class where I’ve had to create two or three pitch decks so far, and the skills I gained from the fellowship have made that process much easier. Plus, it’s been super useful for the science competition I’m participating in, where I need to create another pitch deck.

What was your favorite Fireside Chat from the summer?

I would say that Isabella’s fireside chat was my favorite. It had so many helpful, practical resources—like how to send cold emails, tips on networking, and really great book recommendations. There was so much valuable information packed into it. Also, like I mentioned previously, it inspired me to start my Women in STEM podcast. I have the website set up, and I have multiple people lined up to actually speak on the podcast, and we’re excited to begin uploading episodes in the future!

What were some of the most valuable skills or lessons you learned from the summer?

Like I mentioned earlier, the pitch deck was incredibly helpful, but another key skill was learning how to build a resume. The resume I created during the fellowship has been a lifesaver—I’ve already sent it out to so many people since the fellowship.

Learning how to send cold emails was also really valuable. During my campaign for student body co-president, one unique aspect of my platform was bringing in guest speakers for our school. Since being elected, I’ve been using cold emailing to reach out to STEM professionals, and it’s been really helpful. I was able to get a mission control expert from NASA lined up to speak at our school, which I’m especially excited about!

Future Aspirations

What kind of career are you hoping to pursue?

I know 100% I want to work in STEM, but I’m not completely sure what field I want to pursue yet, and I’m still exploring various career paths. I mean, currently, I'm too young to have an internship, but I'm exploring various internships that I could do, like a Scripps marine biology internship, a Scripps medicine internship, or even an internship at NASA.

I’ve always been drawn to space science, and originally, I wanted to be an astronaut. However, I found out I have a few medical complications that would prevent me from pursuing that path. So, I’ve pivoted to focusing on space research instead—exploring the universe from the ground rather than being in space.

How did the fellowship influence your career aspirations?

The fellowship truly opened my eyes to so many new opportunities within STEM. When I started, I was fully focused on space science—and I still love it—but the experience broadened my perspective in ways I hadn’t expected. It introduced me to the idea of combining STEM with entrepreneurship and even sparked an interest in fields like medicine.

For example, during the pitch deck competition, I worked on a project called BEEGreen, which showed me how STEM and entrepreneurship can intersect. The fellowship helped me realize that STEM isn’t just one path; it’s a field full of possibilities where different disciplines can come together in exciting and impactful ways. Overall, the fellowship just opened my eyes to so many new opportunities within STEM.

What have you been up to since the fellowship?

Since the fellowship, things have been really busy! As I mentioned previously, I was recently elected student body co-president at my school, which has been a huge responsibility. I’m managing so many committees and initiatives that it sometimes feels like a full-time job, but it’s been an amazing experience.

I’m also thinking of creating a student-led Speaker Series Club at my school. The idea is to have a different person present on a space science topic every week. I thought it would be a great way to get students excited about STEM and share their knowledge!