Of course you can job shadow NASA!
What does one do you when you receive a job shadowing request for atmospheric and space scientist or astronomer? You contact NASA! This is exactly what happened a few weeks ago. An online search was started, and several emails later a Zoom invitation and a date and time were confirmed. A video conference took place on a Friday afternoon with Dr. Steve Howell. Dr. Howell works in the Space Science and Astrobiology Division at the NASA Ames Research Center in California. When contacted, he immediately replied with enthusiasm and even went so far as to say that he wished a program like BB2C existed when he was trying to decide on a career.
The video conference call took place at the Epicenter and two students attended. (An added benefit of having the Epicenter is that it gives us a location to provide students with wonderful opportunities.) Were the students a little nervous? Yes. Was there need to be? No. Dr. Howell was so friendly and approachable. Very down to earth (pardon the pun). Before the session the BB2C Coordinator and the students discussed some questions they might want to ask. Dr. Howell graciously answered all questions and offered a great deal of information and insight into what the careers of an atmospheric and space scientist and astronomer would look like.
Key skills students learned they would need to work in this field:
A need for strong writing skills to write proposals. Dr. Howell has to write a proposal to get telescope time. Who knew? We thought they just walked up to telescopes and got to use them on an every day basis.
A need for strong math skills in order to solve problems.
Problem solving skills-you may need to create your own equipment to observe something you are interested in.
Networking-it’s a small field so meetings and conversations are where you get information about opportunities.
Communication-they often give talks to the community at places such as museums.
Being a life long learner-if you keep learning new things it gives you more opportunities so that you can choose the type of work you really want to do.
And last, but not least. PERSEVERANCE, PERSEVERANCE, PERSEVERANCE!!!
Dr. Howell related to the students as he was also from a small community in Pennsylvania. So small they did not even have calculus at his high school. Did he let that stop him from achieving his dream? No. He spoke of taking extra classes in the summers and going to a smaller college to ensure he would get the individualized attention he knew he would need in order to be successful. He encouraged the students, but also gave them a realistic idea of the skills they need to work in their desired field. We cannot thank him enough for the time he spent with our students! As they were walking out, one of the students could be heard saying, “That was fun!” This placement presented an excellent chance for students to talk to someone who shares the same passions as they do. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Howell you can go to https://www.nasa.gov/content/steve-b-howell. The picture above is of him teaching a cooking class in NYC which demonstrated the physics of cooking (foams).
We can’t wait to see where our job shadowing journey takes us next! To complete a job shadowing request please go to: https://buildingbridgestocareers.org/jobshadowing