Breece Phipps

The SpaceFox Scholarship for Re-emerging Scholars is named after Breece (SpaceFox) Phipps.

Growing up, his grandfather worked for a company called Aerojet Rocketdyne in Sacramento, CA. Specifically, he helped assemble the Rocketdyne F-1 engines for NASA’s Saturn V Rocket. Breece vividly remembers the day his grandfather told him how that engine facilitated the first trip to the moon. The pride and passion emanating from his grandfather’s voice sparked a desire deep inside of him and put him on a trajectory to start his dreams of aerospace engineering. But those dreams and aspirations were almost never fulfilled.

As a teenager, Breece’s life spiraled out of control as he became addicted to heroin. This resulted in a string of unsurmountable difficulties. With lies to his family, increasing narcotic dependency, and multiple arrests, he was riddled with instability. Ultimately, because of his addiction, he was sentenced to prison and was at the lowest point in his life.

Prison was a pivotal moment, and he vowed to make a change and not waste the last chance he was given. This challenge presented the opportunity for him to mature cognitively, physically, and spiritually — but more importantly, it allowed him to grow academically. Following his release, he enrolled in Sacramento City College and began to fulfill the vision he once had.

Today, Breece works as a Propulsion System Flight Controller in Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center located in Houston Texas, and assists in the Artemis program getting humans back to the moon and eventually Mars.

Prison led me to redemption where he was able to change from the inside out and he hopes that this scholarship can do the same for students looking to use education to change their life.