Community college students across the U.S. now have another shot at proving that their education can launch them into the stratosphere of aerospace, science, engineering, and tech careers. The revamped NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) student challenge lets students schmooze with NASA experts, learn about the agency's missions, and explore aerospace jobs - while competing for cold, hard cash prizes.
The application window is open, but don't dawdle: the deadline to register is Monday, Sept. 28.
“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 oversees 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.”
For NASA interns Kim Alexander and Ashley Rodriguez, NCAS was an unlikely trampoline from community college to cosmic careers.
Alexander, after eight years slinging drinks as a bartender, decided to shake up her life and enrolled at Riverside Community College in Riverside, California, aiming for graphic design - until math stole her heart. She joined NCAS hoping to buff up her resume and transfer application, but ended up on a winning team designing a human mission to Mars. That little detour rerouted her entire career.
“I was just completely overwhelmed by how amazing the program was,” Alexander said. “But NCAS was the most monumental, because I really started thinking, ‘Hey, I could pursue a career in this. This is feasible.’”
Rodriguez, a South Florida native who watched shuttle launches but never dared dream of working at NASA, bounced through various gigs and was wrangling a toddler when she went back to Miami-Dade Community College for an IT degree. There, she stumbled upon NCAS, which steered her toward strategic communications - a field she now actually enjoys.
In January 2024, Rodriguez and Alexander began NCAS-funded NASA internships in the agency’s Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office, under the mentorship of Data and Analytics Manager Erik Lopez.
Today, both have earned university degrees and are embarking on NASA Pathways internships that could lead straight to full-time employment. Rodriguez is a strategic communications intern in the Engineering Performance Management Office at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while Alexander is starting an engineering role supporting the Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities Project at Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
“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.”
Stories like theirs illustrate the program's impact and why its updated mission aims to reach even more community college students.
This school year, NCAS launches with a two-part mission. The cohort phase, running through fall, requires students to attend live virtual sessions with NASA experts and submit materials linking their coursework to a NASA role. Faculty members are key to encouraging students who might not see themselves in a NASA role. Up to 1,000 submissions will be eligible for a $500 award.
Those who make the cut are invited to the next phase: a spring virtual NCAS career fair connecting them with experts and industry opportunities. After the fair, students can submit extra materials for prizes of $250, with up to 500 top submissions winning.
For timelines, eligibility requirements, and a chance to elevate your education to celestial heights, visit https://nasa-ncas.org/student-overview/.
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