NASA’s Next Gen Stem Project will host a Virtual Career day Sept. 18, available at The Nest in Prosper HS, to provide students the chance to explore future careers. The deadline to register is Sept. 8.
“A lot of kids want to be an astronaut growing up, it’s a really intriguing thing,” AP Seminar teacher Micah Webb said. “Space is a really intriguing thing, and I’m still a little kid inside.”
The online live panel events will take place Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST.
“It’s just one more piece of exposure for students, whether it’s something you want to go into or not,” Stephanie Riley said. “It’s just widening people’s mind about what NASA is and what NASA can be and what you could do at NASA.”
The event will be provided to all students at The Nest throughout the day.
“I am considering taking my classes because I want to see all the opportunities that NASA has for communicators, especially communicators who love science,” newspaper adviser, English III teacher Lisa Roskens said. “Plenty of my writers and photographers do.”
NASA professionals will participate at the stream, answering questions and providing information.
“The idea of space has always fascinated me knowing that it is just one big unknown and that we are constantly finding out new information on the daily,” senior Lillian Westphal said. “I am waiting for the day where we can get out of our area and go explore planets farther away.”
The interactive platform opens Sept. 15-19, showcasing virtual tours of NASA facilities and information regarding the assortment of career options.
“I’m hoping even if you get a little glimpse of it, you’re like, oh, NASA has that, I didn’t know you could do that kind of thing,” Riley said, “because there’s literally something for every area.”
It is open for kindergartners through undergraduate seniors.
“I think I like follow them (on Instagram) because I watched a lot of space movies as a kid,” senior Isabella Rodriguez said, “so it’s almost kind of nostalgic to see things from my childhood movies.”
NASA provides session internships and posts contests on their Stem Gateway website.
“They have a lot of education engagement opportunities that I feel like are very, very, very, underused,” Riley said. “Like, you can literally get to talk to the astronauts on the space station.”
Students can sign up for the event on their own or teachers can sign up for their class.
“I’ve been a big fan of NASA and space since I was little,” senior Lillian Westphal said. “I would love to work at NASA when I am older and be able to continue to explore space and to do research for something like that.”
