• Patti Grace Smith Fellow, Class of 2024

• Santa Clara University, Mechanical Engineering, ‘25

• Host Institution: ABL

Spencer is a third year student-athlete at Santa Clara University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering with a minor in Aerospace engineering. He is a proud member of the men’s soccer team, a student ambassador of the university’s Multicultural Center, a founding member of the African Student Association, and member of Santa Clara’s National Society of Black Engineers. He is also active in the local community as a youth soccer coach.

A native of Los Angeles, Spencer credits his annual visit to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in his youth as inspiration for pursuing engineering and ignited a curiosity of space exploration. He expresses gratitude to several educators for recognizing him as both a scholar and an athlete, and for nurturing his enthusiasm in math and science. From participating in the Science Olympiad as an elementary student, to programming online communities during the pandemic while at Loyola High School. These experiences have fueled his ambition to participate in the creation and development of technologies that will generate new possibilities.

With Spencer’s diverse interests, his goal is to contribute to these possibilities by offering a blend of technical, creative and leadership qualities that are rooted in collaboration. He is committed to ensuring innovation through a broad and inclusive perspective to drive the aerospace industry forward.