Shooting for the stars: Audrey Stowe on her year with NASA
For many, the idea of working for NASA exists as a childhood aspiration, somewhere to aim for as they shoot for the stars. The same was true for Audrey Stowe, BJ ‘25. However, the dream of NASA wasn’t just a childhood fascination. It helped shape her work ethic, ambitions and ultimately, her career path. So, when her senior year began with NASA being announced as the client for the Missouri School of Journalism’s student-staffed, professional services advertising agency — MOJO Ad — and ended with getting an internship doing communications for NASA, it all felt nothing short of cosmic.
“I remember hearing basically everybody in the classroom gasp alongside me and I just could not help the tears from falling,” Stowe said of the MOJO Ad announcement. “I was just immediately ready to get started. I had no idea that it would lead to this [internship]. I thought, if that was the only time in my life that I got to somewhat work with or for NASA, then I was going to be content.”
With a specialization in all things young, MOJO Ad works with clients whose brands want to target teens and young adults. During fall 2024, students were divided into three MOJO Ad teams to build campaigns for NASA’s Artemis program, an historic initiative that seeks to once again land humans on the moon.
As a strategist on MOJO team Chroma, Stowe dove into the research behind the campaign. She conducted interviews to explore the emotional and philosophical connections people feel toward space exploration, as well as the concerns surrounding the investment it requires.
“I interviewed members of the target audience to figure out what exactly it was about space exploration that inspired them or made them feel connected to the agency itself,” Stowe explained. “The insights I pulled ended up becoming the creative direction for all the MOJO teams that semester. It was really fun to have NASA employees attend our final presentation and ask thoughtful questions as we unveiled our work… I truly thought that was going to be the extent of it.”
Though the MOJO Ad client experience created some connection between Stowe and NASA, she still wanted to fulfill the dream of working there. Stowe referred to her NASA application as ‘a shot in the dark’ — one that came true this summer.
Stowe is putting both her journalistic training and strategic mindset to work in a whole new context at NASA in Washington, D.C.
“We received such amazing guidance from our professors every single week that we went in and proposed ideas and drafts and plans. I think that feedback loop is so critical to the MOJO experience. It ended up being what truly prepared me the most for postgrad in general, but also this internship specifically, because that happens in the real world as well.”
Audrey Stowe
Every center and mission and office at NASA has its own social media page, with each one needing its own strategic plan to conduct itself.
“I’m still doing research and helping them strategically decide how to reach their target audience, which in this case is small businesses trying to win subcontracting opportunities with NASA,” Stowe said. “I help run social media, produce publications and give recommendations for future outreach and communication efforts.”
Still, Stowe says her time with MOJO Ad played an undeniable role in preparing her for post-grad situations.
“We received such amazing guidance from our professors every single week that we went in and proposed ideas and drafts and plans. I think that feedback loop is so critical to the MOJO experience,” Stowe said. “It ended up being what truly prepared me the most for postgrad in general, but also this internship specifically, because that happens in the real world as well.”
Stowe brings a wide-ranging and impressive skill set to the table, much of it sharpened in Columbia; but ask her to single out one specific moment that best prepared her for where she is today, and she’ll tell you it’s impossible.
“Honestly, I feel like every class at Mizzou has been a building block to my overall foundation of knowledge that I’ve carried with me into post-grad,” Stowe said.
Stowe will now take on her next chapter as a full-time strategist for Ogilvy in New York, starting in September. From a classroom gasp to the internship of her dreams, Stowe’s journey is a testament to what happens when a single opportunity turns into a launchpad for something bigger.
Updated: August 5, 2025