{"id":150983,"date":"2026-02-20T09:08:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:08:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=150983"},"modified":"2026-03-26T16:26:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T20:26:01","slug":"passion-persistence-opportunity-at-ucf-lead-to-grads-space-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/passion-persistence-opportunity-at-ucf-lead-to-grads-space-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion, Persistence & Opportunity at UCF Lead to Grad’s Space Career"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nov. 13, 2025, 3:55 p.m. Jillian Gloria \u201922<\/strong> stands on a balcony at Blue Origin headquarters in Cape Canaveral, Florida, her eyes fixed on the horizon at Launch Complex 36 \u2014 the very launchpad her grandfather helped construct as a NASA engineer in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

Engines ignite. Gloria\u2019s breath catches as she wills the rocket to climb. Then she hears those crucial words: \u201cLiftoff detected. New Glenn has cleared the tower.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blue Origin rocket scientist has just witnessed the launch of her first NASA mission. It\u2019s a goal the Orlando native has dreamed about since childhood; one marked by visions of the space shuttle soaring upward as she commuted to school and the roar of sonic booms when it returned to Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

What makes this milestone even more rewarding is the determination, the hard work and the relentless tenacity it took her to get here.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour dreams are possible,\u201d Gloria says. \u201cAll you need is passion and persistence. As long as you keep going, you can do anything in this world. You\u2019re always going to end up where you\u2019re meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n