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Throughout my life, I had an ever-increasing passion for space, and I have successfully integrated this into my educational experiences and career desires. My passion and curiosity for space were ignited by looking at eclipses and stargazing early on in my life. These were further cultivated through reading astronomy books and watching documentaries. Because space exploration was not one of my government's priorities, I followed other opportunities at my parents' recommendation. They led me down other paths in my career, but my passion for space returned a decade later. My deeply ingrained desire to learn took me from a small village in Moldova to Romania, Croatia, and eventually to the US. The idea of a space career reappeared in my life in February 2019 while attending a seminar at Harvard University.
Enjoying childhood in picturesque Moldova
I grew up in a small village, close to the river which separates Moldova and Romania. I had a wonderful childhood in the picturesque view of Todiresti. My people taught me to respect and conserve the beautiful customs of our culture called Romanian because of the common history and language with the neighboring country. I was part of a choir where we sang traditional songs at each holiday and also competed in different music contests. When I was a child, l was inspired to wonder about space. My father often took me with him to stargaze and watch eclipses through a black piece of glass that he made. A few years later, when I made reading my hobby, I found a book on astronomy in the library that captivated me. I also listened to TV stories about astronauts, especially on Cosmonauts' Day. At that time I did not have a computer, so books and TV documentaries were my only available sources to dive into the space mystery. I considered applying to the Moldovan Academy of Science after graduation from high school. However, my parents discouraged my willingness for a space career. Moldova is a small country, so space exploration is not one of its priorities and jobs in this field are very limited. I complied with this idea, considering applying to a regular high school.
The various hardships encountered in Moldova influenced my decision to explore educational opportunities abroad. Moldova was part of Romania until 1940, when it was taken by the Soviets and transformed into a socialist state. Although it gained its independence after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, it could not make much progress because of the continuous interference and control of Russia. The people in Moldova have worked very hard to establish democracy, rule of law, and a market economy. The educational system was still plagued by large amounts of corruption, and this was the driving factor behind my decision to explore educational experiences abroad. I wanted to get the best education possible and eventually return to bring the change that I wanted to see in Moldova. I dreamed of being a student at one of the best universities in the world. However, I did not know how this could happen because I did not know any English or even have an English instructor at my school who could teach me the language. I often heard about Romania, but never had a chance to visit it. When a friend shared with me his experience at high school in Romania, I was eager to apply.
Growing professionally over the border
At the age of 15, I moved from Moldova to Romania to attend high school. This was the toughest decision of my life because I had to leave my family and friends behind, as well as learn to be completely independent. It was the necessary sacrifice needed in order to construct the future I had envisioned. It also allowed me to grow into the strong and self-reliant person that I am today because I was forced to adapt to an unknown world and solve challenging problems on my own. Completing my high school education in Romania at the National Iasi College felt like the first step in making my dreams of advancing my education into a reality.
After graduation, I moved to Bucharest for higher education and better opportunities. In the capital, I studied Finance and Banking at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. I also had the chance to complete internships at the Romanian Parliament, Citibank, and Romanian Commercial Bank. After interacting with my managers, customers, and various tourists who I came across in my life, I felt that it was mandatory to improve my English speaking skills so that I can open up greater opportunities in my life. I only learned Russian and French as foreign languages in Moldova. However, when I moved to Romania, I had to learn English on my own. Following my acquisition of a basic level of English, I applied to an exchange program in Croatia. Being offered by the European Commission in partnership with my university, it gave me the opportunity to study and interact with people from other countries in English.
The leap overseas
After receiving the Erasmus scholarship from the European Commission, I went to study international business in Croatia. There I had the chance to improve my English skills as I had classes and interacted with people only in this language. While doing the program in the beautiful paradise of Rijeka, I had an opportunity to be involved in the X-Culture global business competition. I got to work for two months, virtually, with students from Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, Grenada, and the United States. It was a very challenging experience as I was the team leader, but also a very exciting one. Most of my classmates spent more time partying at the sea, but I felt it was worth investing in the competition. It was an exciting school project as it gave me the possibility to apply theory in practice. When the competition judges announced that I qualified for the final step in Miami, I was incredibly excited and could not wait to travel to the United States. I had never left Europe before that and always dreamed about visiting America. Because I qualified for Croatia at that global competition, I was invited to share my experience at Radio Rijeka and LEAP Summit.
Living the American dream over the ocean
Through the beautiful palms of Florida
Surprisingly, the Erasmus experience in Croatia paved the way for my American education. In Miami, I was impressed by the size, technology, and professors at the university where the competition was held. I dreamed of being a student at an American university one day, and decided to work to make it a reality. After returning from Miami, I looked for opportunities to study in the USA. I applied for the Fulbright Romania Student Award Scholarships, being one of only 14 beneficiaries. The Institute of International Education offered me the choice of four American universities. When I saw the master’s degree I wanted was at the Bush School, I could not believe it. As a child, I remember watching the news with my father and asking him about George H.W. Bush, who played such a big role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Who would have thought that ten years later, I’d be studying at the institution he founded?!
2. Between the Ivy League intellectuals
While I was waiting for admission results from the U.S. universities, my goal of generating positive change led me to Harvard University. I was the Governance & Geopolitics delegate of Romania and Moldova in the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR). At this conference, I was exposed to the global challenge of regulating space and decided to take part in these efforts. The speakers from Harvard, MIT, SpaceX, NASA, and Pardee RAND emphasized the need for changemakers across the world to ensure the peaceful use of outer space. This became my vision as I felt that through space governance I can contribute to the well-being of the current and next generations.
After returning from Harvard College, I established my goals for my studies in the USA. I made a great impression during the interview, receiving admission to my dream institution, the Bush School. I got prepared for starting my American dream and looked for ways to develop my passion for space. I attended Astronomy Day in Romania, where I had the opportunity to discuss with our only cosmonaut. Since Mr. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu was a chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS,) he encouraged my aspirations for space governance.
3. Exploring the nature state and the friendly cowboy culture
Starting with June 2019, I have lived my American dream. Initially, I took part in a pre-academic grad school program with other scholars in the home of Senator William Fulbright, University of Arkansas. My experience in Texas started in August with a visit to NASA's Johnson Space Center. Since Texas A&M is a space-grant institution, I was determined to make an impact on space-related matters. Learning that the Bush school did not have any space center was surprising, so I proposed the idea of setting one up. Initially, it did not look like my idea can become reality. However, I did not lose my passion and looked for opportunities to learn more about space. I met the Texas A&M astronaut Mike Fossum and researched space policy at the Bush Library & Museum since President George Bush 41 implemented National Space Policy Directive 1-7.
To my surprise, in my second semester, I was invited to serve as the founding member of a space governance research center. I accepted immediately while still not believing that my dream became a reality. All the efforts that we have done since then resulted in the consideration of the provost to establish a space institute at the university level instead of a center within our department. We are very looking forward to seeing it officially established.
These experiences showed me that everything in life happens for a reason and that a dream postponed is not a dream denied. As a child, I was disappointed that I cannot have a space career because our government does not invest in it. Life has taken me to other paths which eventually brought space back into my life again at exactly the right moment. Since then, my life made more sense because I could apply my previous knowledge in economics, governance, and diplomacy in my research about space. The enthusiasm in pursuing this path has generated a greater sense of fulfillment in my life and created a greater sense of meaning. By planning the future of humanity in space, I can contribute to the well-being of the current and next generations, along with giving back to all countries that have helped me achieve my career goals along the way to my destination.
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