Aisha Bowe nearly failed high school but she never allowed her dreams to escape her, leading her into space.
Choosing Her Own Path
In high school, a guidance counselor suggested that Bowe, a first-generation Bahamian-American, consider a career in cosmetology, since school had not been her strong suit at the time. However, it was through her father — who passed away in 2025 — that she found encouragement to pursue mathematics and reject the limited path the counselor had envisioned for her. On the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, Bowe acknowledges that the counselor’s restrictive views made her feel “demoralized,” so she chose not to apply to a four-year university and instead enrolled in a community college.
Following a reality check, Bowe decided she wanted to become a NASA rocket scientist, a dream first envisioned by her father, who had initially moved to the United States to pursue this goal, notes Travel Noire.
“I wanted to do things that people laughed at me for saying I wanted to do,” she shared on the podcast. “And all of those things became real. And that’s when I started to realize that we, especially as people of color, cannot allow ourselves to be defined by anything other than what we choose to be.”
Decision To Take Out $50K Life Insurance Policy
Bowe initially attended obtained degrees in aerospace engineering (bachelor of science in engineering) and space systems engineering (master of engineering) between 2006 and 2009. This transition was not easy. In fact, she even bought a life insurance policy out of fear.
“When I was in community college making the transition to go to university, I took out a life insurance policy on myself. I took it out for $50,000 because I was so afraid that if I died when I was in college, my parents were going to be broke and they were never going to be able to pay that debt back,” she explained. “And I think about that time in my life, and I just felt so confined… I know what it’s like to be tired. I know what it’s like to be hungry, and I’m not going back to that. And using that as a source of strength was really what propelled me to do what I’m doing.”
Career Highlights
Bowe went on to intern for NASA and scaled at the agency after landing roles as a mission engineer and later an aerospace engineer, where she was tasked with supporting air traffic management.
In 2013, while still working at NASA, she launched LINGO, a company she created offering self-paced coding kits intended to increase exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathways for people of all ages, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Bowe raised $2.3 million for Lingo in November 2024.
Making History
More recently, Bowe took part in an all-female mission launched by Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on April 14, 2025. The crew included Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn. Bowe also made history as the first Bahamian to make it to space.
“I’m the aerospace engineer that almost failed high school. And my story is that you can transcend, you can overcome, and it’s not where you start. It’s how you finish. And so I’m really proud to be able to walk that path alongside a non-traditional yet inspiring crew,” Bowe expressed on “Black Tech Green Money.”
Looking ahead, Bowe intends to be a vessel of hope and inspiration for the next generation and wants to share her experience with children and parents, instilling a similar flame to what her father gave her.
“My life changed because my dad was unwilling to accept anything less than greatness from me, even when I wasn’t demonstrating that. And I think that’s so important,” she mentioned.
Watch Full Episode Here
To watch the full episode of the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, click here.
