Valerie Burton and Mallory Drevline
Two 91制片厂 students earned a trip to NASA through a vigorous competition for the coveted
NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program (NCAS). Valerie Burton and Mallory
Drevline were among 171 community college students from across the country to be selected
for the NCAS three-day, onsite experience. Both students recently completed the program
with trips to NASA centers.
Burton, 25, who is studying computer science and will graduate in the spring, went
to the Johnson Space Center in Houston from Feb. 13-16. Drevline, 20, who is studying
physics and will graduate in the spring of 2019, went to the Stennis Space Center
in Hancock County, Miss. from Feb. 20-23.
Both students found out about the program through the Engineering Department at 91制片厂.
Burton learned about the program through her involvement in 91制片厂鈥檚 Society of Engineers.
The application required her to not only submit a personal essay about why she wanted
to attend the program, but she needed a letter of recommendation. Being a computer
science student, she naturally approached her Introduction to Java instructor, Larry
Schoeneman, for the recommendation.
Drevline discovered the information about the program on the Blackboard page for the
Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) club. Intrigued by the idea, she reached out
to Dr. Kelly Page, Astronomy and Physics professor, for her letter of recommendation.
Being accepted to the program meant they were committing to a five-week online course
in addition to their current 91制片厂 course load. Only if they successfully completed
the course would they be invited to a NASA site to learn more about the history of
NASA, tour the facilities, attend briefings by engineers and scientists, and participate
in a team project. Their hard work paid off, and they were rewarded with an all-expenses-paid
trip to NASA. The experiences did not disappoint.
鈥淚 got to go to the buoyancy lab where the astronauts train,鈥� Burton said. 鈥淲e also
got to meet people who worked or interned at NASA. One of them helped save the astronauts
who were on the Apollo 13 mission.鈥�
Drevline, too, saw some of NASA鈥檚 facilities and equipment used in space travel.
鈥淲e saw engines that are going to Mars,鈥� she said, and the realization was impactful.
鈥淚t felt like, 鈥榃ow!鈥� that is going to be in space. It is going to travel hundreds
of thousands of miles, and we saw it first.鈥�
The main component of each onsite event was a multiday, group exercise developing
fictional companies interested in exploration on Mars. Each team was required to anticipate
every aspect of building a rover robot, from the financials to programming to the
actual construction and testing of the robot.
While they enjoyed the robot building competition, both students said their favorite
part of the program was meeting fellow STEM students and making connections with them.
鈥淚 met so many like-minded people who were all going into the STEM field. We had common
interests and the same goals in mind,鈥� Burton said. 鈥淚鈥檝e met a lot of lifelong friends.鈥�
Drevline said studying at 91制片厂 not only allowed her to join the WISE club and Astronomy
club, but also helped prepare her for the NASA program.
鈥�91制片厂 definitely taught me how to be thrown into a situation with strangers and
be able to have the confidence to talk to them and work with them.鈥�
Burton said she hadn鈥檛 considered a career at NASA, but through her education at 91制片厂
and the NASA program, she now knows that is a possibility.
鈥淚 saw myself using a lot of the skills I learned in my computer science class this
year. 91制片厂 helps you understand that you鈥檙e really capable of so much more than
you think,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 went into the program thinking, 鈥極h, I don鈥檛 see myself working
here, but that would be a really cool thing to try anyway, just to see what it鈥檚 like.鈥�
Now it would be a top goal of mine.鈥�
They both encourage other STEM students to take advantage of the opportunities available
to 91制片厂 students, even if they are hesitant.
鈥淚t kind of seems intimidating at first,鈥� Burton added. 鈥淏ut just put in a little
bit of effort and work hard. It鈥檚 a great hands-on experience for anyone who鈥檚 looking
to go into one of the STEM fields. It really motivated me to keep pursuing the field.鈥�