Education Access
Building the foundation to become an engineer
Rosa Casares is set to be the first person in her family to graduate from college, with an Associate of Arts from Keiser University, and is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a career in the space industry.
On July 31st, Rosa Casares was due to graduate from Keiser University with an Associate of Arts in General Studies. She started college at 17, while still a senior in high school. She is working toward transferring to another university to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, starting in the autumn of 2027. "My focus right now is building the foundation needed to become an engineer," she says.
She will be the first person in her family to graduate from college, and the first to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. "This is one of the main reasons I keep going, even when the path feels challenging," she says.
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." Aristotle”
Rosa Casares
Her aim is the space industry. She is in NASA's MCA Program as a Planetary Geologist for the autumn of 2026, and is learning Python and SolidWorks, which she calls the essential building blocks for engineering. Alongside that she volunteers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, at the Von Arx Wildlife Hospital. She is taking a break from college and using it to build her skills and her leadership for what comes next.