Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Foundation

The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Foundation seeks to meet the future needs of the U.S. aerospace workforce and to address underrepresentation of Black and African American individuals in the aerospace industry by connecting companies with highly talented prospective new entrants into the aerospace workforce, and by providing additional training and development opportunities to candidates as they begin their careers. 

We’re on a mission to provide an effective pathway into successful aerospace careers and future aerospace industry leadership to talented, hardworking people who are currently on the outside, looking in.

As we succeed in that goal, we will drive meaningful change in the aerospace industry, helping our nation receive the massive benefits of a fully engaged workforce with an impressive breadth of perspectives and talents.

Our award-winning program provides extraordinary undergraduates with their first work experience in the aerospace industry, personalized mentorship, and a cohort of similarly driven and talented students and early career professionals pursuing aerospace careers. Our program has a proven track record of success developing human resources in historically undeserved Black communities, including Black aerospace engineers and other aerospace professionals.

Every Patti Grace Smith Fellow earns: 

🚀 A paid, living-wage summer internship at a leading aerospace company, agency, or high-growth startup. 

🚀 Two dedicated mentors—one senior executive and one early-career peer—to guide them through the industry. 100+ hours of leadership training, including an all-expenses-paid Leadership Summit where they connect with their cohort and industry leaders. 

🚀 A direct cash grant of $2,500 that can be used to cover tuition, books, housing, or whatever tools they need to stay focused on their degree. 

Since launching in 2020, we’ve welcomed nearly 200 students into our fellowship, hailing from 77 colleges and universities. Along the way, we’ve awarded over $540,000 in direct cash grants to ensure financial strain never stands between a brilliant student and their career in space.

We are currently accepting applications for our 2027 fellowship and funds from this year's Give 8/28 will go towards our efforts in programming for our chosen fellows including a 4-day professional summit featuring current professional leaders in the field.