For Bruna Rocha, anything is possible. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Bruna has been interested in space from a young age, but felt that the opportunities to engage in this field were limited. “I did not grow up in a place where aerospace felt close or accessible, but I have always been drawn to the idea of building what seems impossible,” she said. Pushing past barriers, she decided to journey over to the United States to study mechanical engineering so she could one day make her way to space. And it’s not only her dreams she is fulfilling; she’s also opening the door for others to do the same.

Women in STEM

Bruna serves as President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at UM-Dearborn. This organization fosters a supportive community of women pursuing degrees in engineering.

“As SWE President, I focus on building real opportunities for women in engineering,” Bruna said. “That means organizing high-impact events, strengthening connections with industry and creating a space where students feel confident walking into technical rooms.”

Bruna has made a significant impact through her efforts to connect younger members with opportunities in engineering. She has helped students grow into leaders, secure internships and find the confidence to continue in a male-dominated field.

SWE also does outreach work to expose younger generations of women to the possibilities of a career in STEM. In February, SWE hosted events every Friday called “Shadow Days,” where students from local middle schools could come to campus to learn more about engineering and participate in hands-on activities.

Powerful Events

In addition to the team’s outreach work, Bruna collaborated with her peers to create events on campus that would provide opportunities for UM-Dearborn students to connect with industry-leading companies in a meaningful way.

One notable event she founded and led as president of SWE is the P.O.W.E.R Conference—an annual event where students can connect with leaders in the engineering space. They accomplish this through professional development workshops, keynote speakers and networking opportunities. The theme they chose for 2026 was “Build the Impossible.”

At this year’s conference, Bruna and her team brought in executives from Microsoft, General Motors and NASA to speak with students. Featured speakers included CTO of Microsoft Kate Maxwell, and Deputy Division Chief at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Dr. Ruth Jones. At the conference, students were able to ask the industry titans about their careers and how they overcame obstacles to get to where they are.

“Witnessing students recognize their own potential was a defining moment,” Bruna said. “It reflected the impact I aim to create, not only advancing engineering, but expanding who feels empowered to lead within it.”

Inspiring Others

Bruna’s belief in herself is infectious, and she instills that motivation in others. One avenue she does this is through her role on the Michigan Aeronautical Science Association (MASA), a student rocketry team at UM-Dearborn.

Bruna serves as the chief mechanical engineer for MASA, which involves leading the design and launch of high-powered rockets for national competitions. One experience she shared centered on navigating a design setback during testing. What could have turned into a frustrated and demotivated situation was instead met with encouragement and positivity.

“We gathered as a team, analyzed the failure and redesigned the system with stronger engineering discipline,” Bruna said.  “That moment reinforced my belief that true leadership is about staying steady under pressure and turning challenges into learning opportunities.”

Future Astronaut

Bruna hopes to one day go to space, and those who say she’s a dreamer have obviously never met her. “Going to space is a dream, but more than that, I want to help engineer the technology that makes it possible for others,” Bruna said.

She has worked in research labs studying vibration control and thermal systems, held student leadership roles in aerospace, and completed internships at Tesla in both design and process engineering. She has set herself to be a game-changer in the field, and will hopefully come back to campus to share her success as a future aerospace engineer or astronaut at an event like the ones she held here.

“I am passionate about aerospace not because it sounds impressive, but because it represents progress, courage and possibility. My goal is to build systems that matter and to inspire others, especially young women, to believe they belong in spaces that once felt unreachable.”