Ayanna Samuels is a member of the American Institute of Aerospace Engineers and should there be a mission to outer space that intrigues her, she would apply to go. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

Reach for the sky and you just might fall in a tree. Ayanna Samuels reached for outer space and by all appearances, she has strong prospects of getting there.

As a young girl, Ayanna's dream of becoming an astronaut led to her studying aerospace engineering at one of the most highly regarded technical institutions in the world, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States.

"I was always intrigued by the idea of zero gravity and going out of space," said Ayanna, who has the full support of her parents Pauline and Bert Samuels.

"They made me believe that it was fully possible. They didn't flinch," the 26-year-old said. "Whenever my father heard information about astronauts and where they were educated, he would fill me in on what he had found, and MIT kept on coming up."

So MIT would be the school of choice but she would soon change her original path.

Contribution

She discovered that being an astronaut did not have to be all she could contribute to society.

"When I got to school and learnt more about the profession, I realised people who were astronauts have other jobs too." So she could benefit the society in another way and still pursue her dream.

Faced with the question of how her degree would contribute to the development of society, Ayanna decided to carve out her own niche.

"My major passion is looking at how satellite communication technology is used to bridge the communication divide," she explained. So as a technology policy consultant at Information and Communication Technology for Development Jamaica (ICT4D Jamaica), she is hoping to bridge that divide.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology and two masters degrees - one in Aerospace Engineering and another in Technology and Policy - she has mapped out her plan.

One of Ayanna's ultimate goal is to bring medicine, medical expertise and education from all over the world to where it is needed most.

"Up until today, people are having legs amputated or essentially dying because they are not able to access certain services. Through satellite communications, specialists can give other doctors real time advice on delicate procedures," she said.

But she believes there is no single blueprint for every country, so it is imperative that the culture and special needs of the country are understood. She also knows that helping Jamaica would come more easily if she were here.

"If my sole remuneration came from getting a dollar for every time someone asked why did you come back, I'd be rich," she said. However, while she was educated in the United States, she said it was never where she wanted to reside full time.

Affirmative action

Working twice as hard to prove herself because of her colour was strenuous. The assumption was always that she got to the school through affirmative action.

Once she was mistaken for a cleaning attendant by another member of the cleaning staff. She does not want to raise her future family in a society where one is discriminated against because of their skin colour.

But the former Campion College student is as focused today as the little girl who wanted to go to outer space.

Dancing, cycling and running are integral parts of her life as she believes that if you have the physical capacity to stay active, you should do so.

While her achievements have sometimes intimidated others, especially men, Ayana says she knows she will find her match.

Future space exploration

"It's something I'm still very interested in and what I'm trying to do is keep myself a part of the international community where that is concerned. So I'm a member of the American Institute of Aerospace Engineers and should there be a mission that intrigues me, then I'd apply."