Oklahoma USA
For as long as Cheyenne Smith could remember, she always wanted to be a scientist, specifically an astronomer—or "astomener," as she wrote in a letter from her younger self back in '03. Cheyenne was obsessed with galaxies, the potential for life within those galaxies, UFOs, crop circles, and alien abduction stories.
Later on, Cheyenne discovered that most of those topics were considered "conspiracy theories," and the field she was genuinely interested in is called astrobiology or life detection sciences.
When Cheyenne got to college, she was unsure of what she was doing and hadn't even heard of astrobiology. As a first-generation college student, she had to navigate the ins and outs of college on her own. Her freshman year was intimidating, and seeing astrophysics on her degree sheet was even more daunting. She had never seen or heard of a person of color, especially a woman, in the College of Astronomy or at the star parties she frequented.
In the Black community where Cheyenne grew up, it was considered "weird" to have such interests. Back then, she never thought to research Black professionals in astronomy. In hindsight, she can see how the lack of representation impacted her academic career decisions. She had no one who looked like her to reach out to. The only person she remembers from elementary school is Albert Einstein, and she read every single book in the library about him. She was under the impression that all astronomers had to be like Albert Einstein. She was 1,000 percent wrong!
“I didn’t see anybody of color into astronomy while I was growing up, and so subconsciously I was like, ‘Oh, this isn’t for me.’ But I want more people to be astronomers making it more visible and more accessible, that's my main mission."
It wasn't until after Cheyenne graduated that she discovered the brilliant minds of Dr. Jedidah Isler and Dr. Moogega Cooper in astrophysics and planetary protection. Growing up, she never knew of a Black woman or man in astronomy or the space industry until she saw them on an episode of "How the Universe Works."
To quote Dr. Korie A. G. on what a scientist looks like, "We are eclectic, non-traditional, geeky, and a little weird (some of us a lot)." Cheyenne was a lot of weird, according to her peers.
Cheyenne has always been passionate about science, even though math wasn't her strongest subject. During her freshman year, a professor suggested she explore other fields if math wasn't her forte, so she chose to major in communications. This decision led her to discover her true calling in science outreach, which she finds just as vital as scientific research. Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges that she could have pushed herself more in her math courses, but she's grateful for the path she took.
A passionate advocate for science outreach, Cheyenne Smith founded the organization Space For Us. Under her leadership, Space For Us has successfully fundraised over $100,000 to support various initiatives aimed at making science accessible to underserved communities. Cheyenne's dedication to bridging the gap between complex scientific concepts and the general public has been the driving force behind the organization's impactful work, inspiring countless individuals to explore the wonders of space and science. Today, she dedicates her life to communicating science to underserved communities, making a meaningful impact and inspiring others to pursue their passions in astrobiology and beyond.
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