Meet Johana Fischer
When Johana Fischer looks up at the night sky, she doesn’t just see stars—she sees possibility. That fascination with flight and space, present since childhood, has guided her through setbacks, reinventions, and triumphs to her current role as a Flight Test Instrumentation Engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Her path to aerospace engineering was far from linear. In high school she wanted to join the Air Force, but her mother insisted she go to college.
Johana’s first attempt at higher education was rocky. She enrolled in an international business program, but her heart wasn’t in it. Financial pressures and the reality of working multiple jobs made it difficult to continue. She stepped away from school, got married, and had a son.
“When he was born, I knew I had to pursue something I truly loved—because if I was going to spend time away from him, it needed to be for a good reason. That was the push I needed to return to school for engineering.”
Finding a Launchpad at Reynolds
In 2017, Johana enrolled at Reynolds Community College. She chose Reynolds because it was nearby, but soon discovered it was much more than convenient.
“Reynolds turned out to be the best decision,” she says. “The professors were patient and invested in their students. That makes all the difference.”
Because aerospace engineering wasn’t offered at Reynolds at that time, Johana pursued a degree in mechanical engineering—the closest transfer pathway to her dream field. She started with just one class to “test the waters,” but encouragement from her professors gave her confidence to continue.
Returning to school in her late 20s wasn’t easy. She had to rebuild her math foundation from the ground up while raising a preschooler.
Physics became a turning point. Johana credits her professor, Richard Sward, with sparking her enthusiasm. “He had so much patience and was always willing to stay after class to help,” she says. “That class is still one of my best memories.”
From Reynolds to the Stars
After graduating in 2019 as a first generation graduate, Johana transferred to Virginia Tech and earned her Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering. From there, her career has been a steady climb toward her dream of one day becoming an astronaut.
Her resume already reads like a tour through some of the nation’s most exciting aerospace projects from NAVAIR to NASA Kennedy Space Center.
Today, at Edwards Air Force Base, she ensures advanced fighter jets record accurate performance data during test flights.
“It’s fascinating work,” she says. “We’re right at the edge of what’s possible in aviation.”
She is also pursuing a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University, known as the “Cradle of Astronauts.” The program allows her to keep working full-time while preparing for the next step in her journey.
Lessons in Persistence
Through it all, Johana has learned the importance of resilience and self-discipline. “You will fail sometimes—on tests, assignments, even in life,” she says. “But don’t dwell on mistakes. Learn from them and keep moving forward.”
Her advice to current and future Reynolds students: stay focused on your goals.
“Progress can feel slow, but every class you finish is a step forward,” she says. “Reynolds has professors who care and opportunities to take advantage of—you just have to ask and stay alert.”
Looking Ahead
Johana is clear about her long-term goal: becoming an astronaut. To get there, she is breaking the dream into achievable milestones—moving from instrumentation to flight test engineering, publishing research, and gaining pilot training.
“In the future I hope to be a published researcher and on the shortlist for astronaut candidacy,” she says.
Her story is one of persistence against obstacles, of starting over and finding the right path, and of using Reynolds as a launchpad to the stars.
“Reynolds was where it all began,” Johana reflects. “It gave me the confidence, the foundation, and the momentum to keep going. And it proved that if you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”
Reynolds has now added the Engineering, Mechanical / Aerospace Major to its curriculum. If you’d like more information, please visit the Reynolds Program Guide.