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Minh-Chau Le, a mechanical engineering alumna, received the Astronaut Scholarship while at UCF. She is currently working towards her Master of Science and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, and hopes to one day start a company that develops affordable microfluidic medical devices for point-of-care diagnostics.

What advice do you have for others interested in following down a similar path?

For undergraduates who are interested in applying for the Astronaut Scholarship, I think my advice would be to always have clear goals in mind as you progress through your college years, but know that things in life do not always follow as planned. There are things that will be out of your control (e.g., winning a scholarship), but because of this this uncertainty, there will be beautiful things that can happen unexpectedly (e.g., scoring a summer internship you were not really invested in, but having it ending up being an extremely valuable learning experience).

I think it is important to not dwell on whether or not you have “achieved” something, but rather, to stay true to yourself no matter what hard decisions life throws at you, and build your personal story. From my limited experience, scholarship committees and people you meet along the way are much more interested in the stories behind your accomplishments than they are at the accomplishments themselves.

As the movie director Martin Scorsese had said, and the recent Oscar-winning movie director Bong Joon Ho had quoted, “the most personal is the most creative.” Having your personal story to tell will make your scholarship application a strong and memorable one. I would like to share one last thing that I learned in my UCF years, [which] is that, if we can stay true to ourselves - to our core values and morals - then after our undergraduate years, we can look back and see that we indeed, had met our goals in some shape or form.

What research and internship experiences did you have while at UCF?

While at UCF, my first undergraduate research experience was in Dr. Florczyk’s Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Cancer Research Lab. I started working in this lab as a freshman in 2016, and continued until my graduation in 2019. My time in Dr. Florczyk’s lab gave me so much valuable mentorship from him and from the graduate students. They guided me through my two independent projects (including my Honors in the Major thesis) and instilled in me a great love for STEM research.

My external research experience included two summers working at Harvard University in the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (NSF REU). Here, I helped with an interdisciplinary project involving a medical clinic and two Harvard research labs teaming up to develop a novel anti-fouling medical device. Our research eventually received some local (Boston area) media attention and some seed funding to develop into a startup. I also participated in the College Work Experience Program with Lockheed Martin (CWEP) for a semester. Here, I worked as a mechanical engineering designer as part of an internal research and development team. From my supervisor’s mentorship and co-interns, I learned a great deal about engineering design in industry, and how standards in engineering research should be set to make the transition of products from bench top to real-world applications smoother.

What activities do you enjoy outside of academics?

Playing and writing music. I was involved with the UCF Jammin’ Knights and Concert Band as a percussionist throughout my four years at UCF. During college, music was an outlet for an engineering student, as I played in the bands, and occasionally jotted down melodies and lyrics. Now, in my spare time, I force myself to learn piano and write up some songs.

What are your long-term goals, and how has the Astronaut Scholarship has helped you get there?

I have just finished my first academic year in the M.S./Ph.D. in mechanical engineering program at the University of Florida. Right now, my research is focused on designing microfluidic devices for rapid detection of cancer biomarkers for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Following my Ph.D. years, I plan on pursuing a research career at a national lab. I also would like to start my own company right here in Central Florida on developing affordable microfluidic medical devices for point-of-care diagnostics. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) has been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. The ASF is not just a scholarship that gives you the check and walks away – they are genuinely invested in your professional development. Through their events and activities such as the ASF Gala, the Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction, and the ASF Mentoring Program, they provide their scholars with opportunities to meet fellow scholarship recipients, astronauts, successful engineers and business leaders, creating a very welcoming support system. My ASF mentor was my go-to person for advice as I navigated my last year of college and contemplated my decision of continuing onto graduate school. I still keep in touch with my mentor and the friends I made through the ASF today.