I (M/18) am a junior in the PNW trying to be an aerospace engineer (likely propulsion), but I live in a rather small town and I am quickly approaching the limitations of my resources, I'm past what I need, but I still want to do more. I have been studying as many branches of science as possible since about 8th grade including physics, chemistry, fluid dynamics, atomic physics, and orbit mechanics. While I still lack some equation knowledge, my understanding of concepts is excellent and I have been working away at some personal scientific projects like a research paper on aerodynamic stability in my free time, which I hope to publish somewhat soon before I graduate (I plan to publish at least 2 ideally). I have done as much as I could find in town to further my aerospace career, but I am quickly hitting a brick wall and don't know what else to do in town. Thus far, I have started and maintained a rocketry club with my peers that is coming up on it's anniversary, I completed UW's "Washington Aerospace Scholars" program successfully, I have read every possible science book in the public libraries and bought my own, talked to people on multiple forums for tips, and I have been working away at networking within NASA for a mentor and advice (although nothing yet). I have done a lot to build my aerospace and general STEM knowledge and experience, and can be of some use on just about anything.
I'm in my final stages of secondary education and my councelors are encouraging me to keep going, I am a great student (3.6+ GPA, National Honors, Running Start, ect.), I have connections to tens of professors at my local Community Colleges, but none are aerospace focused. I was thinking about contacting NASA or SpaceX's Q&A emails, but I'm not sure what to try to find someone. I want someone who has a degree in engineering (mech, aero, astro, that kind of thing). My local airports and runways don't seem to have a public number and the only aerospace company I know of in town is a corporate plane engine manufacturer. I would be open to occasional travel but I need primarily digital communication. My alternative is to move out and try to live in a larger city about an hour away for an internship, but I am likely not able to be financially independent at the moment so it would be a gamble. What should I do?