Cyclone Rocketry, a student-run organization on campus, is making history this year with its first female president.
Sydney Turner, a senior studying aerospace engineering, became president at the start of the fall semester after being a member of the organization for the past four years.
According to the Iowa State Foundation website, Cyclone Rocketry, also known as CyRoc, has been building rockets and competing since the fall of 2017. The organization aims to educate students on the importance of teamwork while helping them learn about engineering and rocketry in a hands-on way.
“I went to a rocket launch my sophomore year, and I was immediately hooked,” Turner said. “I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”
As president, Turner aims to increase women’s involvement in STEM programs and to inspire the next generation of STEM students.
During her freshman year on campus, Turner said she received some hateful comments regarding her gender associated with her interest in rocketry and STEM. These comments almost pushed her to not return to Cyclone Rocketry. During her sophomore year, she returned to the organization, where she quickly found her passion growing once more.
“I knew there needed to be a change in this club,” Turner said. “I actually had a really unfortunate experience. I tried to join freshman year… this random guy, out of nowhere just asked me, ‘What are you doing here?’ I thought he was asking why I was there, so I’m like, ‘I’m new, and I think aerostructures is interesting.’ Then he goes, ‘No, why are you here? We don’t want women in CyRoc.’”
Because of these comments, Turner has dedicated her presidency to creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for all students, regardless of gender. This semester, Cyclone Rocketry has 12 female members and three women in leadership roles, an increase from previous years.
“I just want to make sure it’s a welcoming place,” Turner said. “I don’t want anyone to be driven away from rocketry just because they didn’t feel welcome or they didn’t feel smart enough or they didn’t feel like they could contribute… we will teach you whatever you need to know.”
Turner also stressed the importance of her approachable nature during her presidency, saying that previous presidents have been intimidating to ask questions of. She hopes that members of Cyclone Rocketry feel comfortable having conversations and asking questions with her, as her role is to educate and lead the organization to success.
Bill Diesslin, director of Environmental Health and Safety Services at Iowa State and advisor to Cyclone Rocketry, has watched Turner grow in her role in the organization over the past four years.
“I don’t feel the need to qualify [her] as the first female president,” Diesslin said. “To me, she isn’t a female engineer, she’s an engineer who happens to be a woman. I know that she’s curious and motivated and pays attention to detail, so when it was announced that she was going to be president, I was on board. I have a lot of confidence in her both as an engineer and as a leader.”
Diesslin said that Turner pays close attention to detail and sets very high standards for herself and the student organization, which in turn produces higher-quality work.
“As an advisor, I thoroughly enjoy being around such bright young people,” Diesslin said. “It’s inspiring.”
During her application for the role, Turner emphasized the significance of being a woman in a STEM field, especially in a leadership position. She hopes that her example can encourage other young women to break barriers and find comfort in the field, knowing that other women have flourished before them.
“You need to put faith in yourself and you need to believe in yourself because there will likely be other people that are going to do the opposite,” Turner said. “They’re going to try to say ‘you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ You know what you’re talking about. You are smart enough, you are capable enough and you can learn.”
For more information on Cyclone Rocketry, visit their website.
