In our popular Career Profile series, the AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers, planetary scientists, and those in related fields.
In a twist on this series, we video-interviewed students in astronomy and astrophysics to highlight their personal and academic career paths. The purpose of this series is three-fold. It aims not only to give a voice and exposure to those who are up and coming in the field but also to give feedback to the Astronomical community at large about the experiences of students who identify as women. The hope is that these interviews will not only share advice and lessons learned but will shed light on how to encourage and inspire more women, from various backgrounds and skill sets, to follow space trajectories, and reach towards the stars.
By: Libby Fenstermacher
“…it may seem really hard at the time, and you’ll want to quit, but get it done anyway, because your future self will thank you for that hard work you put in. I know there’s been countless times where I’ve pushed forward, and I’ve overcome a lot of obstacles and really challenging classes. But I’m so thankful that I went through all of that because I’m better than I used to be. At the end of the day, the worst critic is yourself. Once you get past that fear of not being enough, the fear of failure, or even comparing yourself to others, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.” - Ainsley Helgerson
Transcript: Libby Fenstermacher and Ainsley Helgerson
Libby: Hi everybody, my name is Libby Fenstermacher. I'm here today with Ainsley and she's going to tell us a little bit about her experiences with astronomy, and being a woman and a student in astronomy. So, thank you for joining me. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your background?
Ainsley: Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm very excited for this. So, my name is Ainsley Helgerson and I'm originally from North Dakota, but I now go to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, where I pursue a double major in astronomy and astrophysics and space physics. Along with a minor in applied mathematics, it's a big mouthful to say. I have what else? I have three siblings and I am the first one out of all four of us to go to college. So, it was a really big change for all of us. In high school, I competed in archery, and I played the clarinet in band, and now, I'm a senior in college and now, I'm here. So, it's very exciting. I'm very excited.
Libby: That's so amazing. What inspired you to choose a path in astronomy in the first place?
Ainsley: Well, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do for a long time. Being in North Dakota, there weren’t a lot of STEM opportunities out there for me, and I didn't know if I wanted to pursue STEM. And it was just really challenging trying to figure it out. And there weren't a lot of college credit opportunities either. So, I chose astrophysics…randomly, because… I know it's not very inspirational for people, but I chose it randomly actually because I knew it would open a lot of doors to a ton of possibilities for me and it would be a big challenge for me to accomplish and I felt that I could do it. And I actually decided to do astrophysics when I was a second-semester senior in high school. So, I applied, I think the day before the deadline for Embry-Riddle. And it was a complete, you know, one shot, the only school I applied for. If I didn't get in, I'd take a gap year. It was kind of once, like once that was done, that was it. I wasn't going to do anything else. And after that, I just went for it and I found my passion in it, which I was really lucky for. So, I'm very happy that I didn't have to switch.
Libby: That's so awesome. Well, you know, at the end of the day, it's all a random choice when it comes down to it. So, it seems like you made the right one.
Ainsley: Yeah, for sure
Libby: So, what about astronomy excites you? What drew you in, in the first place? Or astrophysics as well?
Ainsley: Well, a lot of people get confused with the terminology of astronomy and astrophysics. But in hindsight, I really love working with math. I love math and I really do enjoy working with all STEM topics. It doesn't have to be just, you know, physics or chemistry. It can be, you know, biology. It can be any STEM-related topic. I love mechanical work, electrical work, all that stuff is really interesting too. But I chose astronomy really because it gave me excitement that we don't know literally anything about what's out there in the universe. And we've barely, if you really consider it, we barely touched the surface of what is actually out there and it's extremely exciting to be part, especially of the new space generation, that has been coming out with Artemis, with SpaceX and you know, Sierra Nevada, they've all been coming out with these huge new missions and it's really exciting to be part in the new technological era. And I think it's really cool and really exciting that I can be at the forefront of the newest things being discovered and even being a part of the things being discovered. Or maybe maybe I'll be the one to discover it. I mean, you never know. It's all so exciting.
Libby: I'm just so excited for you and your future path. What about astronomy has been challenging for you and what have you done to overcome those challenges?
Ainsley: So, one of the biggest challenges that I've personally experienced and I know a lot of people at my university have experienced is not necessarily about the difficulty of the classes or whether they're passionate or not. It's actually about whether you're disciplined, and you know how to study and your study habits. I have been tested in many ways regarding how much I want to study and how much I want to get to where I want to be. And the discipline really comes into play, especially in the upper-level classes. You can be so interested in the classes, but if you don't have the right study habits or if you're not super passionate about it, you're not going to succeed in the way that you want to. And unfortunately, sometimes that happens and it's totally OK if you find out, you know, your junior year that that's not what you want to do. That's totally fine. Physics isn't for everyone. It's definitely one of the hardest subjects out there to learn and to succeed at. And I would say I'm doing a good job, you know, just being able to pass my classes and just being able to understand where my limitations are. And being able to realize that if this class is challenging me in ways that I haven't experienced, it's a good thing, not a bad thing. And even though it may be hard, I know I'll succeed at the end of the day.
Libby: Awesome. What do you think is a common misperception about astronomy and astrophysics and the educational path in general?
Ainsley: Well, one of the biggest misconceptions that I received specifically from people who aren't in STEM, is that I'm studying astrology. So, the Zodiac signs, which is very, very false.
Libby: That's not the first time I've heard that.
Ainsley: Yeah. Another misconception that I get is they assume I'm going to be an astronaut and I'm not going to…. I don't think I'm planning to be an astronaut anytime soon. If I go down that path, that's where I go. But that's not, that's not what physics is. But yeah, I think. What is another one? Another big misconception that I've found just kind at my school because we have the astronomy and astrophysics tie, is a lot of people think that astronomy is all observational. It's all very hands-on, it's very instrumentational. But unfortunately, we don't have a lot of classes like that, and they forget that we actually have to take fundamental physics, we have to take quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism and all of that is so math-heavy and so physics-heavy that I think a lot of people, I mean, I certainly wasn't educated on it when I was a, you know, senior in high school. But going into it, you don't expect to do that much math and physics until you're in it and you realize, oh, this is, this is a bit different than I was expecting. And sometimes that causes people to transfer and leave the university because sometimes it's just not what they're interested in.
Libby: So, you have to get through more of the building blocks first and then you're putting it all together later on in the program.
Ainsley: Yeah, for sure. And most of the instrumentational stuff actually comes during your master's or your PhD, not even during your undergraduates. I think the only classes I've taken that are lab-related are ones tailored to fundamental physics. But even then, they're very guided and they're not very individualized. So, it takes a long time to get up to that point in your education.
Libby: Yeah, I could see that long road being a little bit discouraging for some, not knowing what lies ahead. What projects are you currently working on?
Libby: Well, hopefully by the time this blog goes live, we'll have heard the results of that and know whether you got into it. So, the next question dives right into that. What are your near future plans?
Ainsley: Well, my current future plans are I'll finish my internship, and graduate next year on time, because I've been doing really good in my classes, and I have one year left, and I really don't want to mess that up. And hopefully, get accepted into a graduate program. I'm looking at some different schools for a master’s or PhD and I do want to pursue Heliophysics as my upper-level education. And I guess after I get accepted, we'll see where it leads.
Libby: That's so exciting. What advice would you give to someone considering a trajectory similar to yours?
Ainsley: Well, there's so much advice that I could give to someone, but I would say the main point that I always do enjoy telling people is, as challenging as it may be, do it for your future self. I tell myself that all the time and if you enjoy it. And as long as you know that that's what you want to do, and it may seem really hard at the time and you want to quit, get it done anyway because your future self will thank you for that and that hard work that you put in. I know there's been countless times where I've pushed forward and I've overcome a lot of classical mechanics, overcome a lot of obstacles, and really challenging classes. But I'm really thankful that I went through all of that because I'm better than I used to be. And at the end of the day, the worst critic is yourself. Once you get past that fear of not being enough, the fear of failure, or even comparing yourself to others, there's no limit to what you can accomplish.
Libby: Totally. That's beautiful. Did you yourself receive any mentorship? And if so, what's the best piece of advice that you have garnered from that?
Ainsley: So, I've been given a lot of really wonderful advice [from] the people that I've encountered during my undergraduate years, and one of the most important aspects I've really taken away, and it's also about observations that I've just noticed, is knowing how to balance your work life and your personal life. It's always good and always wonderful to get as much done as you possibly can every single day but having that balance can benefit yourself and benefit others. And it can, you know, retain, and maintain the relationships that you've had with mentors, with your significant other, with your friends, even your family. And even, you know, as an undergraduate, you're put through really vigorous classes more than you would, you know, you're maybe even I'm not. I can't speak for people in your master’s or your PhD, but as an undergraduate, you're taking so many classes and you're involved in so many things. Especially as a physics student, even the smallest break does wonders for your emotional and mental health.
Libby: I can't even imagine. That's awesome. So, let's see here. Find out where I am on my questions for you. This has been a wonderful interview so far. Thank you again so much for joining me. What, if any, changes would you like to see for women in astronomy?
Ainsley: So, one aspect that I really hope to see is the ability to be treated equally among the academic and academic wise. I've seen this in myself and I've seen a lot of women that get questioned in their ability to comprehend something that when they learn it, they either don't retain it, or they can't do it afterward just because they are women. One example of mine is that I'm an academic tutor where at my university. I'm one of the only female academic tutors who code in MATLAB, and I'm one of the only females who are an expert in that specific coding language. And it's just something surprising because I've seen a lot of kids who won't come to me because I'm a woman and they won't come to me because they don't think I'm an expert enough in the field and they'll go to a male co-worker instead. And I've noticed that a lot and it's frustrating, but also. At the same time, it's nothing that I can control and that's on them. And at the end of the day, I just do what I can, and hope things change in the future.
Libby: That's all we can do. What's your favorite movie or your favorite TV show?
Ainsley: So, I would say my favorite TV show or series is I've always loved the Law-and-Order Special Victims Unit season. I find them just captivating to watch. And obviously, every girl loves this, but I also love Grey's Anatomy. Those are the two main shows that I at least had the time to watch. I mostly watched them in high school and freshman year of college, and I don't really watch a lot now, given I'm very busy.
Libby: Yeah, not very much time there. Do you have any last-minute things you'd like to share or anything else that you want to share today?
Ainsley: One last thing that I would like to share is it doesn't matter where you come from or what your background is or is going to be. As long as you keep working towards what you want to be and what your goals are, you will get there. And sometimes it takes a bit longer than others, but as long as you keep pushing forward, you will, you will get to where you want to be. Cause I know I will. Even if it's slower, faster than others, I know I will get it. I will get there one day.
Libby: As the saying goes, Ad Astra Per Aspera.
Ainsley: Exactly.
Libby: Through hardship to the stars. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. And I can't wait to share your story. And yes, I'll share your contact information in the blog so that people can get a hold of you if they'd like. And have a wonderful rest of your day.
Ainsley: Yeah. Thank you very much. Bye.
Libby: Bye
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