By Emma Swinney, Public and Media Relations Coordinator
Later this month, JCCC graduate Stella Bond will begin interning at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s primary launch site and one of 10 field centers for NASA’s research labs, test zones, and employee facilities. The Kennedy Space Center is accessible to the public; guests can watch rocket launches, view exhibitions with historic spacecraft and mission artifacts, and participate in interactive learning sessions with astronauts.
Specifically, Bond will be interning in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex division, helping to guide group visits and facilitate educational programs for the public, among other community outreach projects. During her internship, Bond is particularly excited about the Kennedy Space Center’s two planned rocket launches in September and October.
Path to NASA
In the fall of 2023, Dr. Brenda Edmonds, JCCC Professor of Mathematics, encouraged Bond to explore NASA’s Community College Aerospace Scholars program (NCAS). NCAS is a prestigious program only for community college students, and those selected must apply and meet eligibility requirements. Bond was chosen for the 2024 February-August NCAS cohort.
NCAS is a hybrid online and in-person program. Bond completed two online “missions” before traveling to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia for a 3-week final mission. The first mission was a 5-week, self-paced online course to introduce students to the agency and teach the baseline information they will need to be successful on future missions.
Mission two was an educational career simulation experience, where students roleplayed as NASA employees and were tasked with planning a mission to the Moon or Mars. During this activity, the students learn to make decisions, deal with time and financial constraints, and design complex solutions for various scenarios. While participating in the NCAS program, Bond decided to apply for NASA’s Kennedy Space Station Exploration Station Internship for the fall of 2024.
Bond’s third mission was a 3-week hybrid (online/onsite) capstone project, which took her to NASA’s original field center in Virginia. Bond worked with a team of community college students from across the country on a project using drone technology to track and monitor wildfires. While completing her third mission, she heard back that she was selected for the internship and was able to celebrate with her NCAS team.
After the internship
Bond’s internship lasts from August through December, and she plans to return to Kansas after she is finished. She has already transferred to an in-state four-year school for the spring of 2024, where she plans to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering. She hopes to work for NASA after finishing her degree.
Bond graduated from JCCC with an Associate of Liberal Arts degree, providing her with a broad range of courses that could be transferred to other programs at a four-year college or university. Bond’s credits from JCCC all transferred to her new school, and she’s expected to complete her Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering in four semesters (plus a summer session).
Start here, go anywhere
“JCCC helped me get this internship with NASA, and I’m so glad Dr. Edmonds told me about the NCAS program,” said Bond. “Without the support of my JCCC professors and being able to participate in NCAS, I would not have had the confidence to apply for this internship. The NASA employee who interviewed me said that NCAS students had a reputation of being driven and hardworking, which I believe helped me be selected.”
JCCC students do amazing things – academic dreams start here. For more information on starting an educational journey at JCCC, visit JCCC.edu.
The next NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars application period will open in October 2024 for the February-August 2025 cohort. More information will be available on NASA’s website in mid-September.
