Samantha Hunsinger is a manufacturing engineer with a passion for innovation and empowering women in STEM. Growing up in Michigan, she was drawn to engineering through her love for building, problem-solving, and her exposure to the automotive industry. Inspired by her grandfather, a private pilot, she developed a deep fascination with space and aviation. This passion ultimately led her to pursue mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and her Masters of Business in Aviation at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Throughout her academic journey, Samantha faced the challenge of being one of the few women in her classes, overcoming obstacles such as gender biases and imposter syndrome. Her perseverance and resilience saw her through, and she successfully led UofM’s NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), competition team during her senior year, aligning with her desire to chase her passions to the stars…
Currently working in the automotive industry, Samantha’s ultimate goal is to transition into aerospace and work for NASA. She is a strong advocate for diversity and increasing the representation of women in STEM, emphasizing the importance of self confidence and breaking down societal stereotypes. Through her work and outreach as a NASA Solar System Ambassador and STEM Communicator, she hopes to inspire the next generation of women engineers to embrace their passions, creativity, intelligence, and uniqueness in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
To start, can you tell us a little about your journey into STEM? What inspired you to pursue this field?
Growing up, I had two younger brothers. While I was a girly girl—my mom encouraged it, I had a pink bedroom, Barbie dolls, and dresses—I was far more interested in playing with my brothers’ Legos and train tracks. I loved building things, following instructions, and using my creativity to construct something from scratch. That was my first introduction to problem-solving and tinkering, and it sparked something in me.
Being from Michigan, the automotive capital of the world, cars, and “car people” were everywhere—my dad, grandpa, and grampie were always in the garage working on vehicles. We never took our cars to a mechanic; we handled everything ourselves. I grew up watching them, learning how to change my oil, replace headlights, exhaust systems, alternators, belts – the list goes on – and maintain my own vehicle. That hands-on experience, combined with my love for creating, naturally led me toward STEM.
But what truly sealed it for me was my grampie. He is a pilot, with his private pilot’s license, and when I was four, he took me up for my first airplane ride in his Cessna 152. I was terrified at first, but as we soared into the sky, fear turned into fascination. I wanted to be an astronaut, and I sat in front of the television and watched every Space Shuttle launch I could. That passion for space and aviation, combined with my love for tinkering, was the perfect storm that eventually pushed me toward engineering.
By middle school, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. My mom played a big role in shaping my path—when I was about 12, she suggested, “Sami, you should be an aerospace engineer!” since I loved space. I had no idea what that was, but once I learned, I knew I was on the right track. My mom always supported me, never placing limits on what I could do just because I was a girl.
What were some challenges you faced as a woman entering this field, and how did you overcome them?
The first time I was directly discouraged from STEM was in 9th grade when my Honors Geometry teacher convinced my mom to pull me out of honors math. They told her I should give up my aspirations of working in aerospace and becoming an engineer. I was struggling a bit, but was pushing through with a B- in the class. Naturally, this crushed me and made me question my own intelligence and worth for the rest of high school.
I noticed the gender gap for the first time, a year later in high school when I took my first engineering class. I looked around and saw that I was one of only three girls in a full classroom. It wasn’t that I felt out of place, but it was the first time I realized just how male-dominated the field was.
When I joined my high school’s FIRST robotics team, the imbalance became even more apparent. I was used to environments like dance and student council, where there were plenty of girls. Robotics was different. Back in 2016, the push for women in STEM wasn’t as strong, and social media wasn’t the powerhouse it is today. There weren’t as many visible role models for girls interested in engineering.
Despite that, I had a strong support system in high school, my engineering teacher and robotics coach played a huge role in that. It wasn’t until college that I truly started feeling the weight of being a woman in STEM. At the University of Michigan, I expected to be one of the few women in my mechanical engineering classes. I was in love with the contents of what I was learning—thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, differential equations— but as the material got harder, I started feeling a different kind of challenge. I kept telling myself that the guys were not struggling as much with difficult course material, and that messed with my confidence.
Mansplaining became a real issue. Some of my male classmates, even professors, would explain things I already knew. It wasn’t intentionally done to put me down, but I noticed they did not talk to each other in the same way, it was frustrating. At first, I blamed myself—I thought maybe I just wasn’t good enough. Then, I realized that wasn’t true.
One of the toughest moments was failing Calculus II in my sophomore year. I had to retake it multiple times before I finally passed. My high school math teacher’s comments came back into my head, I thought I needed to change majors. Watching some of the guys in my class breeze through it was disheartening, but I kept going. What I didn’t know, is they were also struggling and retaking other classes themselves, we all had our own battles. Years later, I heard one of my idols, astronaut Jessica Meir, talk about how she was rejected from NASA four times before finally getting in. That kind of resilience is what got me through.
How did you stay motivated and push through the doubts?
At some point, I realized my biggest challenge wasn’t the coursework—it was the culture. Starting my career, I worked on a production shop floor (as I still do today) where I had to interact with mostly older men. They never directly said I was incapable, but it was in the way some of them spoke to me, their tone, their looks. For a while, I lowered my boundaries, thinking, This is just how it is.
I realized I had internalized misogyny that had started in highschool—I thought that to fit in, I had to dress like “one of the guys.” I ditched pink, wore work boots and flannels, and tried to blend in. I would silently judge other women who didn’t do as I did, and who wore pink and sparkles. The story I was telling myself was that this was truly me, where in reality, my genuine self that loved pink and sparkles was being neglected, starved, and ignored.
But then, I had a wake-up call. I noticed I was competing with other women in the industry, and I didn’t like that. I had never had issues with women ever before, but here I was, feeling like I had to prove myself. My therapist helped me understand where it was rooted from societally, and that competition holds us back. One day, I just thought, Why am I doing this? I started dressing how I wanted—embracing my femininity while holding my ground. That shift was powerful. I stopped shrinking myself and started taking up space, setting boundaries, and truly advocating for myself and other women. Women in STEM are stronger together. We are all facing the same challenges.
How do you see the representation of women in STEM evolving? What still needs work?
The number of women in STEM is growing, and visibility is improving, but there’s still work to be done. STEM education, inspiration, and engagement are key. Not every girl gets early exposure to these fields, so it’s important to introduce them to STEM in a way that feels accessible and exciting. Representation matters—young girls need to see women in STEM to know it’s possible for them too.
Science communication and social media have been game changers in this. The more women share their journeys, the more we normalize seeing them in these fields. Algorithms push content we engage with, so when STEM creators put themselves out there, young girls are more likely to stumble upon it and think, Wait… I could do that too. When I first started sharing my passion online, I hesitated—I didn’t want to be perceived as “too nerdy” or “too much.” But once I stopped filtering myself and leaned into my interests —space, aviation, engineering— people resonated with it. That’s the power of visibility.
As a NASA Solar System Ambassador, I’ve had the privilege of visiting classrooms, museums, and robotics teams to share my love for STEM. Seeing kids light up when they connect with science is incredible, but seeing young girls see themselves in me? That’s the real impact. Not every girl has someone at home encouraging them to explore STEM. That’s why it’s so important to keep that spark alive—to make sure they don’t feel pressured to conform to outdated societal molds as they grow older.
At the end of the day, the key is to show up as your authentic self. Whether a woman in STEM embraces sparkles and pink, prefers a more neutral or masculine style, or falls somewhere in between—it doesn’t matter. What matters is normalizing women in STEM in all their forms. Because the most genuine version of you is the most important tool in your toolbox.
How has mentorship played a role in your career? Have any women in the industry inspired you?
I’m glad you asked because mentorship isn’t talked about enough. As a young professional, everyone tells you, Get a mentor! But the importance of it is never explained. I love learning and soaking up knowledge, there is no such thing as learning too much, but I’ve noticed through my experience that the advice I get from men versus women has a tendency to differ.
I do not want to generalize, different mentorships offer different perspectives and shape your growth, but I notice men tend to give technical advice which I have found incredibly valuable, However, I find often that I am offered unsolicited personal advice that feels irrelevant—like how I should manage my finances. I have a financial advisor; I don’t need my colleague telling me how to budget.
On the other hand, the women who have mentored me tend to share insights rooted in their own experiences navigating the industry—encouraging me, advocating for me, and reminding me of my strengths. I’ve found that mentorship is most impactful when it’s not just about skills, but about empowerment and perspective. At the end of the day, the best mentors—regardless of gender—are the ones who uplift, challenge, and support the next generation.
Along the way I have had so many wonderful mentors. My “second mom”, my best friend’s mom growing up, Amy Graham, was the first woman I saw outside of my own mother who really sparked something in me. I grew up watching her intentionally make a point to defy stereotypes placed upon women. There is nothing in the world she can’t do, and absolutely no doubt in my mind that growing up with Amy’s energy and encouragement led me to where I am today. I often still ask myself in challenging situations, “What would Amy do?” Another woman who truly shaped my journey, was my undergrad college advisor at the University of Michigan, Shannon Resowski. She was a constant source of support during my senior year and beyond, guiding me through my NASA rover competition and personal struggles. She was like a therapist and best friend wrapped in one. I’ll always be grateful for her encouragement. In addition, I have had some tremendous mentors in the automotive industry, men and women that have helped me in my career, and in my personal life, to become the woman I am today.
Women in the space industry specifically who have inspired me are of course the trailblazers we all think of. Most impactfully, Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot(STS-63) and command(STS-93) a space mission, and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first woman Launch Director (Artemis I). Both of which I have had the pleasure to meet while on my annual vacation at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI. Christina Koch, NASA astronaut and engineer, who was a part of the first all female spacewalk, and is the Mission Specialist I of NASA’s Artemis II mission, hits close to home for me, as she’s from Michigan too.
What impact do you hope your work will have on the world?
I’ve never been asked this before, but it’s an important question. I became an engineer because of my passions! I have heard the saying, “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”, so that’s what I set my mind to! I hope to innovate and create meaningful change. There’s a lot of good and bad in the world, and STEM has contributed to both. I want to be on the side that makes things better.
Beyond engineering, I want to empower young women to believe in themselves. If a little girl reads this and realizes she belongs in STEM, that’s the biggest impact I could ever hope for.
Looking ahead, what are your career goals?
Right now, I’m in the automotive industry, which holds a special place in my heart, but my dream has always been aerospace. I’m looking forward to seeing what more STEM Communication has in store, while also working toward my private pilot’s license. Ultimately, I’d love to work at NASA—ideally in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral. Just imagining myself walking through those doors, NASA hard hat on my head, fills me with excitement. That’s where I see my future.
