Our Story
From Aerospace Engineers to STEM Educators
Early Inspirations
From Claire: As a little girl, I was captivated by flight. My dad and I would park at airports and sit in the back of his car, watching the air traffic like it was a sporting event. We would stay up late flying with Microsoft Flight Simulator, visiting airports all over the world. Then when the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft launched and landed on Mars in 1997, rolling out the Sojourner rover that became the first rover to operate outside the Earth-Moon system, I was hooked on aerospace! I collected every newspaper clipping of what NASA was up to and read my dad’s pilot magazines. I set my sights on becoming an astronaut pilot. In my freshman year in high school, my biology teacher asked us to research a career we wanted to pursue and the education needed to get there. It wasn’t until then that I learned what I needed to do to achieve my goal. This revelation set me on the course to pursuing aerospace engineering.
From Natasha: As a kid, I struggled with math and science. I couldn’t connect with the content, and I spent many nights crying at the kitchen table trying to figure it out. I was desperate to just get the right answer, and I didn’t really care if I understood it—because what was the point? Why did I need this stuff anyway? Fast forward to an 8th-grade summer camp where I launched a model rocket, and my world changed. Now this was something exciting I could get behind! And if I needed math and science to make it happen? Count me in. That moment set me on a path that led to studying aerospace engineering in college.
Pursing Engineering
We met during our freshman year of college as aerospace engineering students at Texas A&M University. We quickly became inseparable. As classmates, study partners, and roommates, we earned the nickname “Clasha” because we did just about everything together. In a male-dominated aerospace engineering program, we were two of only four women in our graduating class, and the strength of our friendship played a vital role in keeping us motivated.
Beyond the late-night study sessions and engineering problem sets, we shared a passion for giving back n . One of our earliest projects together was organizing an Engineers Week event at a local elementary school, where we guided students in launching stomp rockets and testing hoop gliders. Seeing the excitement on their faces, we realized the impact we could have. Despite our demanding coursework, we dedicated time to leadership roles in various organizations, including developing a mentoring program to support freshman aerospace engineering students and combat the high dropout rate.
After graduation, Claire joined Air Tractor, focusing on the design and analysis of agricultural and firefighting aircraft. Natasha moved to Virginia and worked with the Department of Defense, engaging in projects that included testing Navy equipment and conducting materials research, leading to a patent in metamaterials.
But something kept pulling us back to education. While volunteering at a local middle school, Natasha saw students struggling with STEM the same way she once had. They couldn’t see the real-world applications, and without that connection, the excitement wasn’t there. She began relating their homework to the engineering projects she was working on, and suddenly, their curiosity was sparked. Around the same time, STEM was becoming a buzzword in schools, and educators were being encouraged to integrate engineering concepts. But teachers lacked the resources and confidence to do so.
Founding of Vivify STEM
So, we asked ourselves: What if we could bridge this gap? What if we could help teachers bring the excitement of engineering into their classrooms?
And just like that, Vivify was born. The name Vivify means "to enliven," and that perfectly captures our mission—to bring STEM education to life. We want students to experience the excitement, creativity, and real-world impact of STEM, not just read about it in a textbook.
We started small, creating one lesson at a time based on what truly engaged and motivated students, using real-world engineering experiences to make math and science come alive. For a while, we balanced outreach and curriculum development with our engineering careers. Eventually, we took the leap into education full-time. Natasha moved back to Texas to launch Space Club at a nonprofit in San Antonio, while Claire became a classroom teacher and STEM coordinator for PreK-8th grade.
As we figured out how to teach STEM through our own experiences, we shared lessons learned through blog posts, social media, and eventually a podcast. Whether sharing the excitement of a rocket launch or the frustrations of managing supplies, we built a community of educators who were passionate about authentic, engaging, and inspirational STEM learning experiences.
Vivify Today
More than a decade later, Vivify STEM reaches over 35,000 educators each year, helping them bring engineering to life in their classrooms. We remain committed to authenticity, accessibility, and innovation in STEM education.
Our curriculum is designed to break down the intimidation around STEM by making learning fun, relevant, and accessible. We focus on topics that spark student imagination—such as designing a habitat on Mars—and break them down into interactive lessons using affordable materials available in any classroom.
A big differentiator in our work is how we approach STEM education. It doesn’t have to be expensive or require high-tech robotics. While a quick Google search will provide countless “STEM” activities, what’s often missing is the depth of learning—clear objectives, structured skill progression, and real-world connections. That’s why we developed the 3 Stages of STEM, a structured framework that builds student confidence, introduces engineering fundamentals, and develops critical thinking and collaboration skills.
Another key focus is engineering literacy. We live in an engineered world—almost everything we touch has been thoughtfully designed to improve our lives. Whether it’s riding a roller coaster, driving a car, or using a smartphone, these innovations exist because of engineers. By helping students understand how these technologies work and their impact on society, we equip them with the tools to engage more meaningfully with the world around them.
At Vivify STEM, we believe that STEM is for everyone. We aim to ignite curiosity, break down barriers, and empower every student to see themselves as problem-solvers, innovators, and future changemakers, while equipping them with the skills and knowledge to pursue any future pathway as informed citizens who contribute to a better world.