Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship
The Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship is a non-profit program in Canada that provides paid internships and executive mentorship to undergraduates and recent graduates seeking careers in aerospace. Founded in 2021, the fellowship is modeled on programs such as the Brooke Owens Fellowship and is the first fellowship for aerospace students in Canada. Motivation and overview. The Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship (ZCPF) program is dedicated to providing exceptional Canadian students with aerospace opportunities in Canada. The fellowship also promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada’s space sector and seeks to improve retention of Canadian talent  in the space industry. The program was founded in 2021 by Tahir Merali, CEO of Escape Velocity Services, International Astronautical Federation committee member and former space engineer at the Canadian Space Agency, and Hira Nadeem, a graduate student at the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University and the first Canadian selected for the Brooke Owens Fellowship. The fellowship is also directed by Sam Condie, space policy advisor at Global Affairs Canada, and Zaid Rana, program scientist at the Canadian Space Agency. The program offer students paid summer internships at Canadian space companies (e.g. Sinclair Inteplanetary by Rocket  Lab, SkyWatch, GHGSat, etc.), professional development training, and mentorship from aerospace leaders, including CEOs, directors, co-founders, Virgin Galactic test pilots, and engineers at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. In addition to the fellows, finalists selected during the application process also receive mentorship through the program. As of 2022, the Zenith Fellowship program is supported by the Space Simulation Services of Canada, Reaction Dynamics, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Canada (SEDS-Canada), and Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) Canada. It receives support from analogous fellowships in the United States on which the fellowship is modeled, including  the Brooke Owens Fellowship, the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship, the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, and the Zed Factor Fellowship. Alumni. As of 2022, the Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship has 10 alumni associated with 9 Canadian universities. In 2021, more than 100 students from 22 universities around Canada applied. Approximately 20 finalists were selected through an evaluation of technical ability, leadership skills, community involvement, and passion for contributing to the Canadian space sector. Selection is made through interviews and essay responses. Finalists are matched with host companies, who independently conduct interviews and award offers.