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Growing up outside of Philadelphia, Abigail Reigner spent most of her childhood miles away from where her family called home, and where there was little trace of her Native American tribe and culture.<\/p>\n
Belonging to the Comanche Nation that resides in Lawton, Oklahoma, Reigner\u2019s parents made every effort to keep her connected to her Indigenous heritage and part of a community that would later play a key role in her professional journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents were really adamant on making sure my brother and I were still involved in the Native American traditions,\u201d Reigner said. \u201cWe would go down to Oklahoma often in the summertime, spending time with family and staying immersed in our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both her parents come from a teaching background, so Reigner was surrounded by hands-on learning experiences early in life. As a school teacher, her mother would participate in local outreach events each year, talking and interacting with students. Her father, a middle school technology education teacher, taught Reigner how to use computer-aided design (CAD) and helped introduce her to the world of engineering at a young age. \u00a0<\/p>\n
These unique experiences helped spark Reigner\u2019s curiosity for learning about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and connecting with others in her community who shared these interests. Reigner says she never takes her upbringing for granted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel pretty lucky to have grown up with so many educational opportunities, and I try to use them as a way to give back to my community,\u201d Reigner said.<\/p>\n
After participating in various engineering and robotics classes in high school and realizing a career in STEM was the right fit for her, Reigner went on to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where she earned bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in mechanical engineering.<\/p>\n
During her time there, she joined the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) where she got the unique opportunity to connect with other Indigenous students and mentors in STEM fields and gain leadership experience on projects that eventually set her up for internship opportunities at NASA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opportunities I got through AISES led me to get an internship at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the summer of 2021, and then an eight-month co-op the following year working in the center\u2019s materials science division,\u201d Reigner said.<\/p>\n
Through AISES, Reigner also met Joseph Connolly, an aerospace engineer at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland who was looking to recruit Indigenous students for full-time positions in the agency. Upon graduating from college, Reigner joined NASA Glenn as an engineer in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n
Today, Reigner works as a systems engineer supporting NASA Glenn\u2019s efforts to test and demonstrate electrified aircraft propulsion technologies for future commercial aircraft as part of the agency\u2019s mission to make air travel more sustainable.<\/p>\n