Will has loved astronomy since middle school. He loved it so much, in fact, that he read every book about it at his school’s library. He then subscribed to Astronomy Magazine and by his freshman year of high school he had his very own telescope. At this point, the universe had come alive and he wanted to share it with everyone.
Will decided to start an astronomy club at his high school. It was a challenge at first, being the only student to lead an after-school extracurricular. Through his hard work and passion, he grew the club to the largest one at Mahomet-Seymour High School.
It was important to Will for his club to continue on after graduation, and he wanted to make sure they still had a telescope. So he sent a letter to the CEO of Celestron describing his need and they responded by donating over $3,000 of telescope equipment to the club.
Will’s dedication and success caught the astronomy world’s attention. He was invited to give a talk at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) in 2018. There he spoke about the importance of astronomy education and described how he was able to provide that to his own community. Watch the video here.
His chosen college major was a no-brainer. He began studying for a Bachelor’s in Astronomy at the University of Arizona in 2018. During his freshman year of college, he decided to invite some of his new classmates to join him for an observing night at Windy Point. One of these classmates invited Katelyn to tag along.
Katelyn was always asking questions. From a young age, she wanted to know the “why” about everything. She loved science as a whole, but astronomy caught Katelyn’s eye when her grandmother gifted her a National Geographic Kids magazine. The edition focused on Egyptian mummies, white blood cells, and the Solar System. She read the magazine countless times, mesmerized by the section about the planets and our Sun.
Being homeschooled through 5th grade, Katelyn was accustomed to independent learning. One of her favorite activities was to use the internet to answer her burning questions. Her favorite topic in astronomy was black holes. She watched multiple simulations and learned all about critical density, event horizons, Sagitarrius A* and more.
By eleventh grade she had made the decision to focus on astronomy and physics in college. She was already enrolled in two local universities by the age of 16 and studied there full-time through her senior year of high school.
While math and science are her main passion, Katelyn also loves music. She is able to play the piano, clarinet and ukulele. To earn some extra money in high school, she decided to offer private piano lessons for students aged 4-14. This experience led her to a love of teaching.
Soon after graduation, Katelyn moved from Minnesota to the southwest to attend the University of Arizona. As a very reserved person, it was rare for her to attend social events in high school. Her first week of college was no different. However, she couldn’t resist an invite to a star party on Mount Lemmon. This is where she met Will.
Ever since Will and Katelyn met on that observing night, they were inseparable. They ate lunch together every day and quickly became best friends. After a few weeks, they officially started dating. Will took Katelyn to Geology Vista with his telescope for their first date. In the middle of observing, a couple stopped by to see the telescope.
The couple had just finished a tour at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and were excited to talk all about it. They told Will that he should work there as a presenter and got him in contact with the director.
Will was invited to go up for an interview and was immediately offered a position. The job was perfect for Will, combining his love of public outreach and astronomy. He was the youngest person to hold this position.
Meanwhile, Katelyn was the first freshman to work at the Planetary Science Institute as a research assistant. She enjoyed sifting through decades of old astronomical logs. It was so exciting to use the same software as professional astronomers!
Will also picked up a position as the first student docent at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab on campus. Katelyn joined him once her grant was finished at PSI. They loved working together and interacting with the public. It was incredibly rewarding to show people how telescope mirrors are made and act as advocates for astronomy research.
After studying through many late nights, weekends, and holidays, Will and Katelyn successfully completed their degrees together. They both earned Bachelor’s of Science in Astronomy with minors in Physics and Mathematics.
On September 24, 2022, Will and Katelyn got married at Geology Vista, the same day and place where they had their first date. After the reception, they set up a telescope for their guests to observe the night sky.
Will and Katelyn have always worked together since the day they met. They knew that they wanted to continue working together in astronomy post-graduation. For years, they dreamt of opening up a telescope business. Now they have made that dream a reality.