Despite having lived in two nations and multiple states by the time Grant Cahill and his family made his way to Colorado, something about the state and all it had to offer provided a draw.

By the time Grant graduated from Evergreen High School, he’d developed a love for space, having been captivated by the frontier during a visit to NASA facilities. That same fascination solidified UCCS as Grant’s next destination after learning about John Herrington, the first Native American to become an astronaut.

“I saw that John Herrington graduated from UCCS and went on to become an astronaut,” Grant said. “I knew I wanted to go down that path, and I appreciated UCCS and its space connections. Once I learned about him, that was it.”

With aerospace in mind, Grant enrolled in courses with a bachelor of science in computer engineering as his goal. But he couldn’t decide if he wanted to focus on software or hardware, so he turned to internships to decide.

“Internships are extremely important,” he said. “My internships showed me I was destined for the software side of the house. I had a greater passion for it.”

Through opportunities at UCCS, Grant interned with US Filter and the Walt Disney World College Internship Program. That latter altered his path.

“I had access to professionals while also taking college-level classes like business classes,” he said. “That program helped turn me into a well-rounded fellow.”