I have two degrees in Engineering, a PhD in Science, a qualification in Science Communication from Cambridge University, and have been writing and performing science/space-themed topics for over 10 years now. I completed ISU's Space Studies Program in in 2015 and ever since then, I've been involved in their summer program providing lectures about communications or other space humanities topics. I'm Chair of the Space Humanities Department at this summer's Space Studies Program hosted in Brazil.

I run my own business, Dream Big Space Communications based in Ireland and at the Incubator at International Space University in Strasbourg France. I seek out interesting space stories to share with the general public across a variety of media platforms: television, radio, newspapers, magazines and on my social media channels. I also create events for the general public to share these stories too, as part of a campaign to inspire people to learn more about science. I'm always on the lookout for the next interesting story and have travelled across the world to cover them, I get sponsored by some very generous people who believe in what I do and want me to fulfil my ultimate goal- to report live from space one day wither from the ISS or maybe even the moon.

I was asked last summer to interview Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield for a family event at my engineering college, the 'UCD Family Festival'. He had completed his last mission on the ISS from Oct 2012-March 2013 and during that time his daughter was studying at Trinity College in Dublin. And he began to tweet about Ireland from the ISS, a first for our country. Chris was one of the first astronauts to really understand how to engage the public about his adventures during his mission on the ISS. He used twitter to share images, videos and musings about orbitting 400km above us during his 6 month mission. He was also the astronaut who performed Bowie's Space Oddity from the ISS, which went on to become a global sensation.

When he came to visit Ireland in December 2013, I queued for hours like many others to get him to sign my copy of his book 'An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth'. Making my second theatre show in 2014 'To Space', I reached out to Chris many times but he never replied. I hardly expected him to respond, he was a busy guy in much demand.

But then eight years later, I was asked to interview him for this family festival. I couldn't believe it! So I prepared thoroughly for the interview, researching every aspect of his life in depth and poring over his previous interviews, seeking out questions he had not yet been asked. The day of the event came and I was ready. We met initially at the technical run-through and as we waited for the crew to finalise their AV settings, we got to talking. And kind of never stopped until the end of that day. We had lunch together, waited together for the event and hung out backstage. Just before we went onstage, I told him about the day I waited in line for him to sign my book and how life can be curious and deliver you some really great gifts sometimes. We smiled together and I thanked him for the opportunity to hang out all day. The doors then burst open and we were told that it was time to start. We took a quick selfie together and then we were off!! Chris was a terrific interviewee, so generous with his answers and time that day. It was a day I'll never forget and am so thankful to those who made this opportunity possible.

Life can be magical can't it, if we just get out of our own way....

I think that I'm fortunate to have spent time training the logical part of my brain for 14 years and then shifting across in to training my brain to develop my creative side. We are all composed of a logical and a creative side but often we lean on one or the other. It's a huge asset in my business to be confident and skilled in both. The space sector attracts big thinkers, outside the box thinkers and people who are prepared to work very hard to achieve their goals. It's also a sector thats moving incredibly fast, and while those already engaged in the space sector (those of us already in the 'space bubble') its an exciting time for our sector, we tend to forget how to keep the general public included in sharing updates about these exciting developments. We are blind to the acronyms, the technology and the space-specific jargon that is used in many articles and reports about space. If we want to ensure that the whole world is involved and supportive of space activities then its imperative that we keep them informed. And I believe that my logical/creative mind is especially skilled at catering for those outside the 'space bubble', where I report about space activities without the jargon in a format and style that resonates with them. It requires me to really understand audiences and how to connect with people. I love what I do and I'm blessed that I have found a career that I truly believe in.

My ultimate aim in my work is to bring all the exciting stories about space to the general public, but also to use space to break down barriers that people have around science in general. Space is a fascinating topic and in my work I have found that if explained properly to the general public, they develop an appetite for the topic and are keen to understand more and engage better in the sector. But not only about space, they want to understand the technical and scientific details (and ofter do a very capable job of exhibiting that understanding in their insightful line of questioning). I want to raise awareness about the many careers available to people in the space sector and to reinforce that you don't need to be an astronaut to have job in space.

I came to the space sector quite late in my career, I call it my third career. It happened when I was writing my first sci-art theatre show 'That's About The Size Of It'. The show was about exploring who we are and the choices we make. I became aware during the writing process, that I had this lifelong passion for space but had sort of underestimated how important it really was to me and yet I had never explored the possibilities of a career in this area. It made me think about the choices we make in our lives, the boundaries that we set ourselves based on the perceptions we have of ourselves and the lives we believe we deserve (or not deserve). It became clear to me that I needed to think more about why I had avoided pursuing a career in a topic that I have had a lifelong passion for, and why I was so afraid to even try.

And after 2 years thinking about that and researching further, I wrote my second theatre show 'To Space' summarising what I had discovered about myself. I also decided that I needed to devote the rest of my life to a thought experiment: What happens when you pursue the thing you love more than anything, what happens if you dare to defy the boundaries you set yourself at an early age, what happens if you dare to Dream Big? And so I decided to push this thought experiment as far as I could: what if I could go to space as a reporter, doing what I do on Earth, but bring my work to space? How would that affect me, or others who believe that they are bound by the walls of expectations that were unconsciously instilled in us from a young age. What if a middle-aged woman from Ireland who doesn't have 'the right stuff' to be an astronaut went to space, based on her merit and ability to connect with non-space people? How would that impact the people I meet and speak to? Could I possibly prove to them that we are the sum of our thoughts, that there are no boundaries, that there is nothing to fear, nothing to stop us for being the people we were destined to be? Except what we tell ourselves.

Thats the crux of my life's work. Its eight years in now on that mission and every day I get closer to that goal. Every article I write, every report I give on the radio or TV, every time I meet groups of people, or visit schools, gets me one step closer to that goal. I'm not in a hurry, this is an opportunity that is earned based on merit and the value of the work I do. Its been a long slow road and not every day has been brilliant, but I believe absolutely in what I'm doing. And every now and again something happens that tells me I'm moving forward. For example, I was recently being awarded an ESA Champion in Education role by the European Space Agency. For me that was proof that my work is valued and has merit. And that I'm moving forward every day. One step closer. And one day I'll get there.