NASA Selects Carver High School Student as Aerospace Scholar for Summer Program, Yearlong Internship
Students are getting a chance to jump-start their future in STEM fields at the space center.
Iván Delgado (in green shirt, second row) from Carver High School is the only teenager in the yearlong internship at NASA JSC. The rest are college juniors, seniors and PhD students.
[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]C[/dropcap]arver High School has a future engineer at NASA. Iván Delgado is living the dream many aspiring engineers would love to experience. NASA selected Iván to take part in the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) Project. He traveled to the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Johnson Space Center (JSC) this summer to take part in the on-site experience. His journey didn’t end once the HAS project was over. Iván found his niche. He is currently an intern at NASA.
State Senator Sylvia García nominated Iván for the HAS project. NASA selected Iván as one of 270 high school juniors from across Texas to take part.
The HAS program applicant process was not easy. It was a bit of a pool process. Students had to successfully show skills in three areas: math, robotics and essay.
Selected HAS Scholars completed eight Web-based assignments during the school year. They applied their newfound knowledge to work as a team at the JSC to design a mission to Mars. The summer one week on-site experience at NASA included a tour of the JSC facilities. Scholars also attended briefings by NASA subject matter experts.
Iván credits his teacher Samita Debnath for making him aware of the program. The [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Pre-AP algebra teacher posted an announcement about the opportunity in her class. Iván was the only student to inquire and apply for it.
The Carver High School student aspires to become an electric engineer. He also dreams of becoming an astronaut.
“It is no cliché,” said Iván. “I would not have known about this opportunity if it had not been for Mrs. Debnath.“
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Iván credits Carver HS for preparing him for the work he is doing at NASA.
He is grateful to the staff at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver High School for preparing and giving him an advantage. Iván began taking engineering courses at the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]magnet campus during his freshman year.
Iván (fifth from left) poses with his winning team.
The [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]engineering program at Carver uses Project Lead the Way or PLTW curriculum. The PLTW curriculum comprises a set of STEM project-based activities. The acronym stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These activities provide hands-on experiences for students. The goal is to teach key elements of STEM-based careers. To achieve this, teachers immerse students in rigorous problems they have to solve.
Iván acknowledges the skills he gained in math, science and English classes too. Iván also lauded the business information management course he took. This is where he learned MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel. The intern states these are skills he uses every day in his work at NASA.
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There are many instructors whom he is grateful for their support. Aside from Debnath, he also appreciates the help he received from history teacher Jessica Gray.
“Carver has a supportive system,” said Iván. “There are many instructors like Mrs. Debnath who have pushed me to excel. Another instructor is Ms. Gray. She has helped me throughout my high school years. There were times I thought I hit a dead-end or felt something wasn’t working out. She pushed me to find an alternative route or answer. I am grateful to everyone who has helped me and believed in me. They have helped me get where I am today.“
In the summer portion of the HAS project, Iván and his teammates designed and created models to sustain life on Mars. They developed a greenhouse and a laboratory. The students had to create a reaction to produce water like something seen in the movie The Martian (2015).
“We had to research specific processes such as the Sabatier reaction,” said Iván. “This involves heating hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This produces water and methane for the astronauts to use.“
The Scholars also designed and created a LEGO rover. Their project had to be able to go through an obstacle course that emulated the Mars environment. The rover also had to retrieve rocks.
“My team won the competition for designing the best rover and developing the research,” said Iván. “That was both rewarding and exciting.“
They also used trigonometry to create and launch rockets alongside a rocket engineer. Iván enjoyed many of the other projects too.
“We designed and created a small pod for the astronauts to land on earth,” said Iván. “And we tested the parachute from a point two stories high. We did a lot of cool stuff in the summer HAS program.“
NASA held a brunch mid-July to conclude the HAS program. At the event, Scholars presented their proposals. Invited guests included the Scholars’ parents and Texas legislators. Also present were members of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Members of Rotary NASA and JSC senior management also attended.
Iván is the only high school student in the internship program at NASA’s JSC.
Iván at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center.
The HAS program ended but Iván’s exciting NASA adventure is not over. The program only cemented what Iván knew: He belonged at NASA. He applied for an internship at the space center. Iván’s wish came true. He got accepted.
This is an amazing accomplishment. All the other interns are college juniors, seniors and PhD students. Iván is the only intern under the age of 20 and the only high school student.
“I am fascinated by the work done at the JSC and the plans to land humans on Mars,” said Iván. “When I heard the plans, I could feel the adrenaline in my body. I wanted to be among the first astronauts to land on Mars.
“I made a decision right after the summer program ended. I realized where I belonged and that was to work at NASA. So I applied for an internship. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Now, I am one step closer to reaching my dreams.“
Iván stands with Mark Geyer and Ellen Ochoa. Geyer is deputy director of the JSC. Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman in space. She is currently director of the JSC.
Iván’s days are busy. But there is no doubt that he is enjoying his internship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The internship began in August and runs through May 2016. Iván, who recently turned 18, interns Monday through Friday. He attends classes at Carver until 11 a.m. before he heads over to the JSC.
“I am extremely grateful for this incredible one-of-a-kind experience,” said Iván.
The future engineer works in the Avionics and Software Branch in the International Space Station Division of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate.
Iván poses with NASA astronaut Mike Fossum.
“I am basically a programmer for the International Space Station,” said Iván. “I am working on a programming project that ensures the crew and the mission itself are safe. I am using programs such as Python and C++.
“I can’t really say what I am doing because … I have always wanted to say this, it’s classified. But I can say that my job consists of working on a key program used by the Computer Safety Working Group at the JSC. It is essentially a program that compiles and generates an Excel spreadsheet. It is full of relevant data found in NASA’s software directory. NASA officials use the information to identify possible concerns. This includes upcoming flights, missions, software transitions and any final safety reviews.
“The NASA experience has been incredible. They are currently teaching me to speak Russian. In November, I began undergoing scuba diving lessons. The scuba instructor is a guy that actually trains the astronauts in space to perform space walks.
“I am extremely grateful for this incredible one-of-a-kind experience.“
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Iván’s parents are proud of their son. They are originally from central Mexico. Both dropped out of high school to work and support their family.
“My parents dropped out of school to work as migrant workers,” said Iván. “The fact that I am at NASA having this experience while in high school is really amazing to them. I still think they can’t believe that I am actually at NASA. They are proud of me. And that makes me happy.“
Many across the state are seeing the teen’s face. Well, half of his face. Iván is one of the interns whose image is on the 2016 HAS flyer and brochure. The other half of his face is a person in an astronaut suit. NASA seeks to inspire high school students to apply to the program.
Senator García recognized Iván for his participation in the 2015 HAS Project. The state senator offered Iván an internship in the capitol once he is in college.
Iván with Derrick Darnell from State Senator Sylvia R. García’s office.
The state, in partnership with the JSC and the educational community, developed HAS in 1999. The goal is to encourage more students to pursue STEM careers. In 16 years, more than 8,000 students from across Texas have taken part in the program.
With the HAS Project, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation’s educational programs. The program seeks to get students excited about space. NASA wants interested students to become the engineers, scientists, researchers and innovators of tomorrow. This is critical to NASA’s future missions, which include missions to Mars and beyond.
Anthony Watkins is proud of Iván and the program at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver High School. Watkins is principal of the campus.
“When opportunity knocks, students like Iván answer,” said Watkins.
Debnath and Watkins pose with Delgado.
“It takes initiative to reach your goals.
“At Carver, we have a solid magnet program. We have a supportive, dedicated staff. And we instill in students a strong work ethic.
We are all proud of Iván. This is a great experience for him. Iván is another great example and role model for students to follow.“
Carver is producing many successful students. The campus is sending students to top-tier universities. And they are pursuing STEM fields. Alumni include Jorge Quintero who is majoring in electrical engineering at Rice University.
Jorge Quintero
Jorge will graduate with the Class of 2017. He serves as president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at Rice. In a [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]story on InsideAldine, Jorge also lauded the education he received at Carver High School.
[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Three 2015 graduates are working on their degrees. Samir Hassam is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas in Austin. Jesús Flores attends Texas State University where he is majoring in computer engineering. And Bruce Westbrook is at Texas A&M University in College Station. He is majoring in biomedical engineering.
[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Samir was featured in a story about the Technology Student Association and PLTW at Carver. He discussed how the magnet campus offers many opportunities for students pursuing STEM fields.
A bright future ahead.
As for Iván, the future is full of possibilities. He plans to attend college and pursue his dreams. Who knows? We may see Iván in space one day. But right now, he is taking the first step on a journey of a lifetime.
Carver High School made [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]U.S. News & World Report‘s Best High Schools in the U.S. 2015 rankings. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]The magnet school focuses on engineering, applied technology and the arts.
[vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/145311391″ width=”560″ height=”315″]View a video of Iván and other 2015 HAS participants.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3Yozg7DLk&feature=youtu.be” width=”560″ height=”315″]About the Author: Leticia Fehling
