Standing Up for Science: How Marissa Norlund Found Her Voice
SPS Member, Marissa Norlund
“That’s when I realized how powerful community can be,” Marissa says. “Even when things felt uncertain, we had each other. SPS gave us that.”- SPS Member, Marissa Norlund
From the moment she looked through a telescope, Marissa Norlund knew she was an observational astronomer.
At Valdosta State University (VSU), Marissa found a home for her curiosity and SPS quickly became the heart of it. As a double major in physics and astronomy, her days were filled with data, lab work, and late nights under the stars. Through SPS, she presented planetarium shows, introduced others to the wonder of the cosmos, and built friendships with people who shared her fascination with the universe.
SPS didn’t just give her activities; it gave her a community. SPS helped her grow as a leader, strengthened her confidence, and showed her that science moves forward when students support one another. “I loved everything about it, the research, the teamwork, the sense of discovery,” she says. “It just felt like where I belonged.”
Then came the announcement: VSU would be cutting its physics and astronomy programs. Students were told to finish their degrees in two years or walk away.
“It didn’t feel real at first,” Marissa says. “You put your heart into something, and suddenly you’re told it’s going away. It was heartbreaking.”
Instead of walking away, Marissa and her classmates leaned into the strength of their SPS chapter, rallying to meet with university leaders, trade resources to stay on track, and motivate one another to keep going.
“That’s when I realized how powerful community can be,” Marissa says. “Even when things felt uncertain, we had each other. SPS gave us that.”
Now in her final semester, Marissa is preparing for the next phase of her journey. She is applying for hands-on positions at observatories across the country, including the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter in Arizona.
“I want to keep observing, keep learning,” she says. “I’m excited to see where it takes me.”
Still, the closure of her program weighs on her. “It makes me worry about the students coming after us,” she admits. “What opportunities will they have if programs like this keep disappearing?”
For Marissa, the loss of the physics and astronomy programs at VSU is about more than just a major — it’s about what science represents.
“Physics supports everything, technology, society, progress,” she says. “When we lose programs like this, we’re not just losing classes. We’re losing part of our future.”
Through it all, SPS has remained her constant. When the program closed, it was SPS that kept her connected to the field, grounded in community, and supported by peers who understood exactly what was at stake. That support strengthened her belief not only in science, but in the people who choose to pursue it together.
As she moves on to new horizons, Marissa carries that conviction with her: science is worth defending. And SPS will continue to be the central community that helps students navigate challenges in their undergraduate journeys.
