To commemorate Women's History Month, we look to those who will one day make history.

When pursuing our dreams, we are often met with obstacles and conflicts that can lead us down the path of demotivation and loss of confidence. This is not the case with Juliana Ricci, a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), majoring in aerospace engineering with a concentration in astronautical engineering.

Following her passion for space and rocketry, she finds herself being ridiculed for chasing her dream, predominantly because of her gender.

In this Special Episode, Juliana shares her story on how this passion flourished and what it is like being a woman in a male dominated field. Being faced with misogynistic comments and doubtful feedback from her peers, she uses that along with support from her family and friends to push herself forward.

A native of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, Juliana is an active member of the High Power Rocketry Club at WPI.

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Episode transcript can be found here.
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Lily Hay (COMM '26) produced, edited, and mixed this episode in Fall 2024 as part of the Audio Production course (COMM 3510). A Communications Media major with a concentration in film and video production, Lily is a filmmaker, sound recordist, and post production editor and sound designer -- and a staff producer for Perseverantia.

Click here to learn more about Perseverantia. Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at [email protected].