Beyond the Stars: Lauryn Leslie’s Journey From Cedarville to NASA

For Lauryn Leslie, the stars were never just distant lights in the sky — they were a destination. As a child, she’d look up and wonder what it might be like to explore the universe God had spoken into being. Today, that childhood dream is blazing into reality.

A 2024 Cedarville University graduate, Lauryn now works at NASA, helping design communication systems that will connect astronauts on future missions to the moon and beyond. Her work is part of Lunar 3GPP — a groundbreaking project to bring mobile communications to space.

But Lauryn’s story isn’t just about rockets and research. It’s about faith, perseverance, and the kind of courage that steps forward even when the next move isn’t clear.

At Cedarville, Lauryn juggled a demanding engineering program with collegiate sports — first softball, then tennis. When an injury sidelined her, it felt like her plans were collapsing. Instead, it became a launchpad. While playing in a local tennis league, she met two female NASA engineers who encouraged her to apply for an internship. Despite her doubts, Lauryn took a leap of faith. “God opened that door,” she said, “and I walked through it.”

That leap led to two NASA internships — opportunities awarded to just a few — and eventually, a full-time role advancing space technology. “At NASA, we face challenges bigger than any one person,” she shared. “There are moments I’ve prayed, ‘Lord, give us wisdom.’ And He always provides.”

Now pursuing a master’s in communications and electromagnetics at Purdue University, Lauryn continues preparing for her ultimate dream of becoming an astronaut. Yet she keeps her heart anchored where her dream began. “I’d love to go to space,” she said, “but more than anything, I want to be where God wants me.”

From the fields of Cedarville to the frontiers of space, Lauryn Leslie’s journey is a reminder that when faith fuels our dreams, not even the stars will hold us back. Hear more from Lauryn on the Cedarville Stories podcast.

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