Education

Accomplished Fall River student headed to NASA internship program

Published

6 months ago

May 28, 2024

Ken Paiva

A Fall River student is well on her way to reaching her pursuits.

16-year-old Alianalyn Velasquez of Argosy Collegiate High School has been selected for the prestigious Student Enhancement in Earth and Space Science summer internship to be held at The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research.

Velasquez will work with scientists and engineers to conduct authentic research and developing experiments for the ZQube, a small cubesat satellite. Velasquez will have the opportunity to develop an experiment that will fly on the Zero G aircraft in microgravity.

This nationally competitive program, funded by NASA, selects students who will increase their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math through earth and space education.

SEES is a collaborative effort of The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research and NASA. Students apply for SEES and are selected competitively. The internships are organized around an aerospace or space science theme drawn from NASA’s diverse engineering and scientific research programs. The program combines the strengths of collaborators to enrich teaching and learning of STEM.

Over 500 10th grade applications were received for the coveted 50 on-site internship positions. Students work remotely with their project scientist prior to the on-site internship, complete an Earth and Space Science course, have the opportunity to learn Python coding, and conduct microgravity research. During the nine days, the students will work at UT/CSR, they will conduct hands-on activities, field investigations, collaborate with NASA-funded scientists and engineers, and work on various NASA missions.

Velasquez is excited for the opportunity and with it, bringing her one step closer to her dreams.

“I aspire to pursue Aerospace/Astronautical Engineering at NASA. I dream about working at NASA to empower my Latina teens, girls, and women’s community so that with our strength and determination, we can achieve our goals.”

On top of her academic achievements, Velasquez keeps herself busy in other pursuits.

“I volunteer at the CD-Rec teaching 5-year-olds ballet and jazz. (I’m also a) member of the art club, Model UN, cheerleading Team, and OSHA construction certificate.”

It is clear Velasquez’s future looks bright.