[1][2] At age 22, she was the only American, female engineer, and youngest member of the ground crew for the Solar Impulse 2 project.

[2] After Solar Impulse, Kassalen helped Covestro build their strategy for materials for autonomous vehicles and shared her work at conferences around the United States.

[4] Kassalen received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 2015, where she was named the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering's Outstanding Senior and Sorority Woman of the Year.

Kassalen applied for this position, and in February 2016 she was offered the opportunity to join the ground crew for the solar-powered aircraft.

While working as a member of the ground crew, Kassalen's responsibilities included resolving electrical problems in the aircraft and aiding in landing procedures.