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内容提要
美国国家航天局(NASA)更新了其社区学院航空航天学者(NCAS)学生挑战项目,旨在帮助社区学院学生探索航空航天领域的职业机会。该项目通过提供与专家交流、职业规划指导及奖金激励,助力学生进入STEM领域或相关职场。
原文全文译文
全美各地的社区学院学生现在有了另一个机会,去发掘他们的学业如何能引领他们在航空航天、科学、工程和技术的前沿领域担任重要角色。更新后的美国国家航天局(NASA)社区学院航空航天学者(NCAS)学生挑战项目邀请学生了解该机构及其任务,与NASA专家互动,并在竞争奖金的同时探索航空航天类工作。
Community college students across the U.S. now have another opportunity to discover how their education can lead to fulfilling roles at the forefront of aerospace, science, engineering, and technology. The updated NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) student challenge invites students to learn about the agency and its missions, engage with NASA experts, and explore aerospace jobs while competing for monetary awards.
申请期目前已开放。注册截止日期为9月28日,星期一。
The applications period is currently open. The deadline to register is Monday, Sept. 28.
“这个机会的独特之处在于,它是为数不多专门针对社区学院学生开放的项目之一,”NASA少数族裔大学研究与教育项目(MUREP)的项目经理Alicia Baturoni Cortez表示,该项目负责管理NCAS。“NCAS学生挑战项目旨在满足他们的需求并拓宽他们的职业意识,这样他们既可以直接进入职场,也可以将目标扩展到攻读STEM领域的四年制学位。”
“What makes this opportunity unique is that it’s one of few that is specifically for community college students,” said Alicia Baturoni Cortez, project manager for NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project, which administers NCAS. “The NCAS student challenge is designed to meet their needs and broaden their career awareness so they can either go right into the workforce or expand their goals to include a four-year degree in STEM.”
通往新可能性的发射台
A launch pad for new possibilities
对于NASA实习生Kim Alexander和Ashley Rodriguez来说,NCAS成为了她们从社区学院迈向新职业生涯的意外跳板。
For NASA interns Kim Alexander and Ashley Rodriguez, NCAS became an unexpected springboard from community college to new careers.
在做了八年调酒师后,Alexander一直在寻找开启职业生涯的方法。她进入了加利福尼亚州里弗赛德的里弗赛德社区学院(Riverside Community College),最初打算攻读平面设计,但后来却爱上了数学。Alexander参加NCAS是希望这能让她的简历和大学转学申请看起来更好看。最终,她所在的团队获胜,该团队设计了一项载人火星(Mars)任务。这段经历影响了她整个职业轨迹。
After eight years as a bartender, Alexander was looking for a way to launch her career. She enrolled at Riverside Community College in Riverside, California, originally intending to pursue graphic design – but fell in love with math instead. Alexander participated in NCAS hoping it would look good on her resume and university transfer application. She ended up on a winning team that designed a human mission to Mars. The experience influenced her entire career trajectory.
“这个项目太棒了,我完全被震撼到了,”Alexander说,她后来还参加了其他NASA的学生项目。“但NCAS是最具里程碑意义的,因为我真的开始思考,‘嘿,我可以追求这方面的职业。这是可行的。’”
“I was just completely overwhelmed by how amazing the program was,” said Alexander, who went on to participate in other NASA student opportunities. “But NCAS was the most monumental, because I really started thinking, ‘Hey, I could pursue a career in this. This is feasible.’”
Rodriguez在南佛罗里达州长大,在那里她观看过航天飞机(space shuttle)发射,但从未考虑过在NASA工作。相反,她在回到迈阿密戴德社区学院(Miami-Dade Community College)攻读IT学位之前,在各种岗位上积累了经验,并抚养着一个蹒跚学步的孩子。正是在那里,她第一次听说了NCAS,这最终让她走上了战略传播职业的道路。
Rodriguez grew up in South Florida, where she watched space shuttle launches but never considered a career at NASA. Instead, she gained experience in various roles and was parenting a toddler by the time she went back to school at Miami-Dade Community College seeking an IT degree. That’s where she first heard about NCAS, which ultimately set her on a path to a career in strategic communications.
Ashley Rodriguez
Ashley Rodriguez
NASA实习生
NASA Intern
这段经历向她展示了战略传播在NASA的重要性,并帮助她发现了一个自己喜欢的领域。
The experience showed her the importance of strategic communications at NASA and helped her to discover a field she enjoys.
2024年1月,Rodriguez和Alexander开始了由NCAS资助的NASA实习,地点在该机构的航空科学评估与测试能力组合办公室(Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office),在那里她们见到了导师、数据与分析经理Erik Lopez。
In January 2024, Rodriguez and Alexander started NCAS-funded NASA internships in the agency’s Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office, where they met their mentor, Data and Analytics Manager Erik Lopez.
如今,两人都已获得大学学位,并开始了NASA Pathways实习,这可能直接引领她们获得NASA的全职工作。Rodriguez目前在位于佛罗里达州的肯尼迪空间中心(Kennedy Space Center)的工程绩效管理办公室担任战略传播实习生,而Alexander则开始了一项工程工作,支持位于加利福尼亚州爱德华兹的阿姆斯特朗飞行研究中心(Armstrong Flight Research Center)的飞行演示与能力项目。
Today, both have earned university degrees and are starting NASA Pathways internships that could lead directly to full-time NASA employment. Rodriguez is working as a strategic communications intern in the Engineering Performance Management Office at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while Alexander is beginning an engineering role supporting the Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities Project at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
“她们是首批两名NCAS校友实习生;她们确实是一起入职的,”Lopez说。“事实上,她们现在都能以Pathways实习生的身份回到该机构,这让我感到非常高兴。”
“They were the first two NCAS alumni interns; they literally onboarded together,” Lopez said. “And the fact that they now both get to come back to the agency as Pathways interns just brings me so much joy.”
NCAS以更新的任务和奖金潜力重新启动
NCAS relaunches with updated mission, prize potential
像Alexander和Rodriguez这样的故事说明了NCAS所能产生的影响,并强调了为什么该项目更新后的任务旨在覆盖更多的社区学院学生。
Stories like Alexander’s and Rodriguez’s illustrate the impact NCAS can have, and underscore why the program’s updated mission aims to reach even more community college students.
本学年,NCAS以一项两部分组成的任务启动。群体阶段将持续到秋季,要求学生参与与NASA专家的实时虚拟体验,并提交详细说明其当前课程与NASA职位之间联系的材料。教职员工对于鼓励那些可能没想过自己能在NASA任职的学生至关重要。最多1000份提交材料将有资格获得500美元的奖励。
This school year, NCAS is launching with a two-part mission. The cohort phase, which runs through fall, calls on students to participate in live virtual experiences with NASA experts and submit materials detailing a connection between their current coursework and a role at NASA. Faculty members are key to encouraging students who might not envision themselves in a NASA role. Up to 1,000 submissions will be eligible for a $500 award.
成功完成此阶段的学生将被邀请参加下一阶段,即春季虚拟NCAS职业博览会,将他们与专家和行业职业机会联系起来。职业博览会结束后,学生可以提交额外材料以角逐250美元的奖金,最多500名优秀提交者将获得奖励。
Those who successfully complete this phase will be invited to take part in the next phase, a spring virtual NCAS career fair linking them to experts and industry career opportunities. Upon completion of the career fair, students may submit additional materials for prizes of $250, for up to 500 of the top submissions.
Alicia Baturoni Cortez
Alicia Baturoni Cortez
项目经理,NASA少数族裔大学研究与教育项目
Project Manager, NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project
要探索NCAS的时间表和资格要求并将您的教育提升到一个新的水平,请访问:https://nasa-ncas.org/student-overview/。
To explore NCAS timelines and eligibility requirements and take your education to the next level, visit: https://nasa-ncas.org/student-overview/.
来源与许可
原文来自公共领域来源;译文由机器生成,请以原文为准。 原作者:Sandra May。 原始页面





