{"id":2110,"date":"2017-10-09T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T08:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=2110"},"modified":"2017-10-05T16:42:23","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T16:42:23","slug":"nasa-opens-a-universe-of-possibility-for-tstc-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=2110","title":{"rendered":"NASA Opens a Universe of Possibility for TSTC Student"},"content":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN) – It has been quite a journey for Texas State Technical College student Saul Pizano who was recently selected to be a part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars project (NCAS).<\/p>\n

The Harlingen native was one of 304 college students from across the United States and the only one from TSTC to be part of the five-week scholars program that culminated with a week at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole experience was mind blowing. Wow!\u201d said Pizano. \u201cI\u2019m so happy that I got the opportunity to do something like this. It has changed the outlook on my future.\u201d\"Saul<\/a><\/p>\n

The NCAS is a project funded in part by the Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) which is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in authentic learning experiences to sustain a diverse workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cNCAS not only inspires community college students to advance in STEM fields, but it also opens doors for future careers at NASA,\u201d said Joeletta Patrick, MUREP manager. \u201cNCAS has a legacy of alumni moving from NASA internships to ultimately entering the NASA workforce. It is rewarding to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pizano\u2019s experience with NCAS began with a month-long online NASA class where he had to complete research, modules, quizzes, a 10-page essay and design and print a three-dimensional space rover vehicle.<\/p>\n

It was his perfect score of 100 percent in the web class and his impressive application that earned him a spot at NASA\u2019s on-site event.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old is already a graduate from TSTC Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics program and is currently pursuing three more associate degrees in mathematics, engineering and physics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no doubt that everything I have learned and been trained to do at TSTC helped me throughout the NCAS process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It was early mornings and late nights for Pizano and the other students participating in this year\u2019s NASA event.<\/p>\n

Students formed teams and established fictional companies interested in Mars exploration, developed and tested a prototype rover, managed budgets and created communications and marketing plans.<\/p>\n

\"Saul<\/p>\n

Pizano was team leader for the Green Engineering and Autonomous Robotics (G.E.A.R.) team, which ended up winning first place for its rover design and development.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great meeting and working with like-minded people,\u201d said Pizano. \u201cThe bonds created among us are remarkable. We all arrived as strangers and left as friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

NCAS participants also got to speak to NASA experts such as Apollo 11 and 13 NASA Spacecraft Warning System Engineer Jerry Woodfill, and tour the space center\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore this experience I felt like NASA was out of reach for me,\u201d said Pizano. \u201cBut now I\u2019ve been there and I know I\u2019ll be back. I can see my future there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pizano\u2019s NASA mentor has encouraged him to apply for a spring internship with NASA in aerospace mechanics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m that little boy who got his first telescope at six and now here I am with an opportunity of a lifetime,\u201d he said. \u201cNASA is changing the world every day and because of TSTC I have the opportunity to be a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information on TSTC and the programs offered, visit tstc.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN) – It has been quite a journey for Texas State Technical College student Saul Pizano who was recently selected to be a part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars project (NCAS). The Harlingen native was one of 304 college students from across the United States and the only one from TSTC to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harlingen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2110"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2113,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110\/revisions\/2113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}