Miriam Basile is 27 years old and a native of Puglia. Six months ago, she was hired as an aerospace engineer at the Leonardo site in Grottaglie, right in her home region. Her team is responsible for identifying engineering solutions to ensure the Boeing 787's compliance during the production phase. Her transition from the world of study to the world of work was seamless: three days before graduating with a master's degree, Miriam joined the Aerotech Academy Puglia, an advanced training programme in industrial engineering, created through a collaboration between Leonardo and the Universities of Bari and Salento.

“The nine months of lessons alternating with company project work, with Leonardo tutors, were intense and extremely useful for me. After completing the Academy, I was immediately hired.” For a young woman who, while studying in Puglia, imagined having to move far from home, finding a job in Italy, and in her homeland no less, was a dream come true. “In my region, I am working in a stimulating, collaborative and international environment: an ideal context for growing and learning from more experienced colleagues,” says Miriam. 

Her passion for STEM subjects, and space in particular, dates back to her high school days. It was fuelled by a telescope she received as a gift to study the phases of the moon, and above all by a physics teacher who encouraged her to pursue her innate interest in everything related to the sky and space. 

Curiosity is the driving force behind her, and Miriam intends to cultivate it in the coming years: “I would like to take on more important roles, in the sense that I would like to be a point of reference for my company and a good investment for my local area.” With a sweet smile and a steely temperament, she proudly tells her peers about the path she has taken with tenacity: “Leonardo offers great opportunities to recent graduates and to those who, as in my case, have yet to graduate. The important thing is to always follow your dreams, which can come true even if you stay in Italy.”