Three Champion students were accepted this year into a prestigious NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration) program for Texas high school students called High School Aerospace Scholars. Juniors Jonathan Segura, Robert “Sy” Gutierrez, and Tyler Dennis were selected for this STEM experience designed to shape future generations of scientists and engineers.
The students selected have the opportunity to work with NASA personnel to plan a mission to the Moon and Mars.
“It’s 4 months online, then we have a summer activity if we get chosen out of everyone,” said Gutierrez.
The students compete and the top students are selected to earn a chance to win an in- person course in Houston, TX.
“You get put into teams to do a little online thing and the top people out of that then get to go to a two day trip to Johnson Space Center in Houston.”
The program had an intensive application process.
“You had to have your counselor send in your GPA and everything,” said Gutierrez. “You had to get a letter of recommendation from one of the teachers. You had to write a 300 word essay.”
Jonathan Segura elaborated on the admissions process.
“You had to show leadership skills and you had to show how you have helped out in the community,” said Segura.
These students expressed their excitement to learn about space technology, space exploration, and other NASA specialties.
It “would be pretty cool to learn about space more in depth than what I can get in school,” said Dennis.