Michele O’Shaughnessy is a two-time Space Camp program alum and has gone through the Adult Space Academy and Advanced Adult Space Academy programs. Ms. O’Shaughnessy has over twenty-four years of federal government experience, working for two Departments/Agencies and at multiple United States Department of Energy (DOE) field locations. Professionally, Michele is an engineer/project manager for the DOE at the Savannah River Site. She supports multi-appropriation programs, projects, and activities, as well as, the effective integration of site planning. Ms. O’Shaughnessy has held a wide range of positions in areas such as Program/Project Management, Emergency Management/Preparedness/Response, and Waste Management. She earned her BS in Civil Engineering with an Environmental Focus from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a MS in Environmental Systems Engineering with a Nuclear Focus from Clemson University. Michele was selected and participated in the NASA Social for the Parker Solar Probe Mission. Ms. O’Shaughnessy is a senior life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and held key leadership roles at the collegiate and professional sections, Region and Society levels including a SWE Board of Director. Michele lives in Aiken, SC. She is an active member of the Aiken community and is a Board of Director, officer, and member for several non-profit and professional/technical organizations.

Suzanne Saltz is a director and first assistant director for television. Prior to making her directorial debut on NCIS: Los Angeles, Suzanne worked her way up on a variety of television shows, including Beverly Hills 90210, JAG, NCIS, Six Feet Under, Bones, Pushing Daisies, and NCIS: Los Angeles. Suzanne received her bachelor degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduation, she was accepted to the Director’s Guild of America Producer Training Plan. Attending Space Camp in August of 1985 was pivotal because Space Camp the movie was being filmed during her time at the Space and Rocket Center. Suzanne is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America, Alliance of Women Directors and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Suzanne has two adult children and resides in Bakersfield, California with her husband and two dogs; they spend their holidays in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Samantha Johnson, is a public library director in the Chicago suburbs with over fifteen years of experience in libraries who completed her Master’s of Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2013. She attended Space Camp in August of 2000 and has not stopped bragging since. In addition to her work, she is an active member of the Illinois Library Association and a proud Rotarian who believes wholeheartedly in its motto, Service Above Self.

If her little brother hadn’t gotten sick on a trip to Disney World,Dr. Michelle Christensen might not be building rocket engines for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Her dad took 5-year-old Michelle to Kennedy Space Center for the day, and she remembers standing under a Redstone rocket and staring at the engine. She wanted to know how it worked. Her parents looked for every opportunity to encourage their daughter’s interests, and at 14, she flew across the country to Space Camp for the first time. “I remember getting to camp and meeting these kids from all over the world,” Michelle said. She had found her place. She came back in 11th grade and worked as a Space Camp crew trainer in college, which led her to transfer to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to study aerospace engineering. Through UAH, she got a research job at Marshall Space Flight Center and then went on to Pennsylvania State University for her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Today, she’s at the cutting-edge of the commercial space industry helping build reusable rockets. She’s also found the same kind of teamwork environment she loved at Space Camp.

Dr. Gretchen Green is 4-time Space Camp program alumna, former crew trainer, and recipient of the Outstanding Camper and Right Stuff awards. Dr. Green is a Harvard, Yale, and Brown educated radiologist practicing in North Carolina.

Chad Driver attended Space Academy while in High School, worked at the Space and Rocket Center for the summer while in college and has attended Family Space Camp three times with each of his daughters. He received a BS in Political Science and a BA in Spanish from Vanderbilt University. After 16 years in marketing and product management, Chad started Driver Productions in 2010, creating video and shooting still photography for a variety of clients: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Dockers, Johnston & Murphy, Mars, Motorola, Nashville Ballet, and Vanderbilt University. He grew up in Huntsville, AL and now lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

Vinay Gidwaney, is a serial entrepreneur who has started two successful technology companies in the IT management and insuretech industries. Previously, he was a neuroscience researcher at the MIT Media Lab. Vinay also sits on the board of the education non-profit, Design for Change USA. Vinay lives in Boston, with his wife, Sanjli and his three children.

David Hernly, is the CEO of Mythric Studios. He first became interested in simulations during his time at Space Camp. He lives in Newport News, Virginia with his family.

Will Hudson grew up in Greensboro, NC and was born June 5th, 1992. Will grew up loving aviation and space, as well as Star Wars and Star Trek. Will attended Aviation Challenge from 2003-2010 starting with Family Camp and going through Mach 3 Elite 12 Day. He attended and graduated from The Citadel in Charleston SC. In 2013 Will moved to Huntsville to work a summer at Aviation Challenge. Fast forward a year and he returned, this time permanently. Will worked from 2013-late 2022 in various roles at Space Camp and Aviation Challenge both as a crew trainer and member of the camp and simulations leadership teams. In 2017 Will married Tosha, who he met while working at Space Camp. In November of 2022 Will left the USSRC for a PAYCOM position at NASA supporting the International Space Station. In October of 2023 he certified as a PAYCOM. While doing this he along side his co-president started and ran the Huntsville chapter for Space Camp Alumni.

Christopher Mick is the Education and Outreach Director for the STEAM educational nonprofit, Space St. Croix, that he founded in 2016. Space St. Croix’s mission, connecting kids to the cosmos, through Space-themed STEAM programming and teacher support materials for all Hudson, WI. area public and private schools, in addition to being the STEAM Programmer for the Hudson Area Public Library.

Christopher studied communications at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and at Columbia College Chicago where he earned is BA in 2001.

Christopher is also a NASA Solar System Ambassador, Space Station Ambassador with the ISS National Lab, member of the NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance, and an Aerospace Education Member with the Civil Air Patrol. He is a blogger for the Space Science Institute, through their StarNet Library website, and recently served on the Education Advisory Board for Infiniscope (2019).

Christopher was named an International Teacher Liaison this year for Flight 19-22 by the Space Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

He lives with his wife, two children, and two crazy dogs in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Beth Mund is an analog astronaut, science comm advisor, and former NASA Public Affairs Officer for the Johnson Space Center and the International Space Station. Beth currently serves as the Chief Narrative Officer at Stellar Communications where she helps organizations discover, design and deliver inspirational science- based narratives. Beth is the host and creator of the Casual Space Podcast, where she shares her weekly conversations with astronauts, engineers, authors and artists about our future in space exploration, and why it matters.

Vanessa Rutherford (Hernandez) grew up in San Jose, CA with stories of the space program regularly told around the dinner table from her father, Micky (Aviation Challenge alumni), who supported programs from Mercury to the Space Shuttle during his engineering career. After seeing an ad in a magazine, she finally was sent to Huntsville at the age of 12 and fell in love with camp from day one. She attended Space Camp programs four times in her youth, Space Camp in 1991, Academy Level 1 in 1993, Academy Level 2 in 1995, and Advanced Space Academy in 1997. She even received the Right Stuff award while attending Academy Level 1. She attributes her path to engineering from the experiences at Space Camp, and interacting with the counselors who were majoring in engineering and could speak to the experience.

After graduating from MIT with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, she returned to camp as an Advanced Space Academy counselor in 2002 before relocating to Santa Clarita, CA, and embedding herself in the local community. She has worked in aerospace most of her career on programs such as the B-2 Bomber, James Web Space Telescope, various satellites, and contributed to sample submission for MISSE-8.

She recently returned to Family Space Camp in 2023 with her husband and daughter, which inspired her to apply to SCAAB. She currently serves on the USA Honda Foundation and Circle of Hope boards. She can also be found performing at the local community theater alongside her daughter.

Ashlee Stevenson (née Weeks) is a five-time alumna of Aviation Challenge MACH II, MACH III, and MACH III Elite (2003-2007), recipient of the Right Stuff award, and a former Aviation Challenge Crew Trainer (2010 & 2011). She comes from a long line of barnstormers and pilots stretching back to 1918. She grew up in Marietta, Georgia just a few miles from the Lockheed-Martin F/A-22 assembly line. Watching their daily test flights has led to a lifelong love of aviation.

Ashlee earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a concentration of studies in Digital Marketing and International Affairs. She has a background in digital marketing and customer experience that shifts marketing focus from products to customers in order to drive sustainable brand loyalty.

Currently, Ashlee manages Digital Dealer Training and Brand Compliance programs that drive efficient operations and protect brand integrity for Mercedes-Benz USA. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Dustin and their dogs Beau and Lana.

Rebecca Torzone has made a career from what started as a childhood passion. Her innate interest in STEM subjects found its love in Space Camp and has now led her to be vice president of Northrop Grumman’s Missile Products Business Unit within the Weapons Systems Division.

Rebecca’s passion for the U.S. Space program dates back to the second grade, when she made a strategic deal with her parents that would fuel the fire for years to come. “My parents made a deal with me that if I saved enough money to attend Space Camp that they would pay for the airfare. I babysat, shoveled snow, and did whatever work I could find to earn the money.” And that she did. She earned enough to attend Space Academy I, Space Academy II, and Aviation Challenge. She also received the “Right Stuff” award while attending Space Academy II.

Her love and passion for STEM work did not end there. She joined Northrop Grumman in 2000 and has worked a vast array of positions and programs across multiple locations, including Colorado Springs, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. Her roles have included Systems Engineering, Strategy, Logistics, Engineering functional leadership, and Program Management positions in increasing complexity for superconducting electronics and airborne and ground radar businesses.

Most recently, Rebecca was vice president within the Engineering & Sciences (E&S) organization. This organization was comprised of over 1,800 engineers, managers, and directors. In this role, she had executive responsibility for all aspects of engineering, sciences, analytics, and logistics supporting program execution to ensure successful program performance.

Rebecca currently leads the Missile Products Business Unit, an industry leader in the development and production of various air, space, sea, and land-based defense systems. The business unit is home to advanced missile capabilities; hypersonic propulsion and testing; upper stage motors and controls; and the development of innovative applications for the energy industry. The division also specializes in advanced manufacturing technologies for a variety of programs supporting current and future U.S. industrial base needs.

Rebecca earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a master’s degree in computer science from Colorado Technical University, and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is a graduate of Northrop Grumman’s Systems Engineering Associate program and has also completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Strategy program. Rebecca is married and lives in Crofton, MD with her husband and four children.

Meghan Predenkoski is an alumna of Space Camp and Aviation Challenge MACH II, MACH III, and MACH III Elite (2004-2011). In an effort to keep in touch with the many friends made during the years at Space Camp and Aviation Challenge, Meghan started an unofficial Aviation Challenge Alumni & Friends Facebook page which has grown to include nearly 600 members. She is currently the Director of Membership, Communications, and Marketing for the Arizona Chapter of Women in Defense. Meghan earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, her Masters of Science in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and her Masters of Business Administration with a focus on Operations Management from the University of Scranton.

Currently living in Tucson, AZ, Meghan is a Systems Engineer with RTX where she works in Systems Integration & Test supporting multiple programs to support our Armed Services. In her spare time, she loves baking for her friends and coworkers, cuddling up with her cat Milo, and experimenting with 3D printing.

Emily Pietrzyk is the Assistant Director of Donor and Alumni Relations from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation. She has many fond memories of visiting the Center and Space Camp as a young girl which led to her moving to Huntsville in 2015 to become a Crew Trainer. Although it was only supposed to be for a summer, Emily loved the impact on trainees and the impact that it had on her. Since 2015, Emily has worked various roles with Space Camp including working in Camp Leadership, developing Custom Programs such as the American Girl and Smithsonian Journeys programs, managing Cyber and Robotics and assisting with camp program development. She joined the Foundation Team in 2021 and has focused on scholarships, major gifts, and alumni outreach.