Christin Mastracchio

Christin Mastracchio first thought about traveling to space when she was just a toddler. "When I was three, I had my astronaut doll and a little space shuttle tricycle. We grew up right by NASA in Houston. My friends' parents in high school were astronauts, so it seemed like an attainable goal."

It wasn't until later in high school that Christin took the first big step toward her goal of one day flying for NASA. She decided to apply to the Air Force Academy, where she was accepted and eventually trained to be a pilot. Today, she pilots a B-52 bomber for the Air Force.

"I've always wanted to be an astronaut," says Christin. "After high school, I wanted to get the best training and education possible. And the only way you can do that is in the Military. I just think it's the best education there is."

And her training didn't stop there. After graduation, Christin was able to continue her education at the school of her choice, learning alongside some of the best and brightest of the civilian world and having the Air Force cover her tuition and other expenses. "My first assignment as a new lieutenant in the Air Force was to go to MIT for grad school," says Christin. "I took some really cool classes, like advanced astrodynamics. The professor had been teaching that class for over 50 years. He had taught three of the men who walked on the moon."

While she waits to achieve her ultimate goal of flying in space, Christin is working toward the next and final step: becoming an Air Force test pilot.