In this episode, I talk with Manju Bangalore a physicist, creative, and astronaut-in-training. We unpack the difference between applied physics and engineering, the power of clear communication in STEM, and the role community plays when you're chasing ambitious goals. Manju shares what it was like interning at the White House, interning at NASA, founding a nonprofit focused on menstrual freedom, and conducting zero-g research on menstruation in space. She reminds us that caring deeply about Earth AND space are not mutually exclusive. This conversation is packed with persistence (including a little delusion), purpose, and proof that you really can be all the things you want to be.