Nancy Taylor: Greene Publishing, Inc.
One of North Florida Community College's (NFCC) students has been accepted into NASA's Community College Aerospace Scholar program. The application process for the program is competitive. Nationwide only 300 students participate in the five-week program, and only 120 of those are selected to visit and present their work at a NASA Space Center.
NFCC student Reinaldo Perez succeeded in completing his application despite a very narrow time window. The five-week preparation period consists of web-based activities (one of which involves designing a trip to Mars), a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA; and if selected, a three-day hands-on engineering experience at a NASA Space Center.
The students chosen as aerospace scholars must be U.S. citizens who are currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at a community college and should have a strong interest in math, science, engineering, and computer science.
In addition to his studies in physics (and working a job), Perez is the president of the Young Engineers’ Club at NFCC.