NASA's HAS program provides Texas high school juniors with hands-on experience in space exploration, fostering their interest in STEM and preparing them for future careers.
NASA ’s Office of STEM Engagement at Johnson Space Center in Houston offers students a unique gateway to opportunity through the HAS program. The initiative provides Texas juniors with hands-on experience in space exploration , working on projects ranging from rocket building to problem-solving in collaborative teams. The stories of HAS alumni highlight the program’s impact, showcasing how it has opened doors to diverse careers in STEM and inspired graduates to empower others.
Johnson Community Engagement Lead Jessica Cordero, who served as the manager of the HAS program from 2018 to 2021, reflected on her time with the students: “I had the privilege of working with so many incredible students who brought imagination and determination to their dreams,” she said. “During HAS, they connected with peers who shared their passion for NASA and STEM, and by the time they completed the program, they had a clear vision of the degrees they would pursue in college. These students are the Artemis Generation—we are in great hands!” For Neel Narayan, NASA’s HAS program was a transformative experience that reshaped his understanding of space exploration and his place within it. Through his time in the program, Narayan learned to navigate complex challenges with confidence. “My experience working with difficult information at HAS, combined with having mentors explain the unknown, taught me to be okay with confusion and comfortable with solving hard problems,” he said. “That’s what STEM is all about.” Before participating in the program, Narayan had a narrow view of what a STEM career entailed: long equations and solitary hours behind a computer. HAS completely dismantled that misconception. He said the program, “broke the most complex concepts into granular bites of digestible information, showing that complexity can be distilled if done correctly.” “During the one-week onsite experience, I was talking to scientists, building rockets, and exploring NASA facilities—none of which involved equations!” he said. “HAS taught me that STEM is not confined to technical work.”Narayan describes HAS as an eye-opening experience that redefined his approach to problem-solving. “Most of us are unaware of what we don’t know,” he said. “In collaborating with others, I was made aware of solutions that I didn’t know existed. The greatest asset you can have when solving a problem is another person.” He credits the HAS community, especially his fellow scholars, with shaping his academic and professional growth. “I benefited most from the networking opportunities, particularly with the other HAS scholars in my cohort,” he said. “For those of us studying together in California, we’ve met up to discuss work, school, and external opportunities. Everyone in the program comes out very successful, and I’m grateful to have met those people and to still stay in touch with them.” For high school students considering STEM but unsure of their direction, Narayan offers simple advice: keep exploring. “You don’t need to know your career path yet—in fact, you shouldn’t,” he said. “There is no better field to explore than STEM because of its vastness.” Narayan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford University after earning an undergraduate degree in computer science. With his graduate program, Narayan is building on the foundation he developed through NASA’s HAS program. Narayan aspires to contribute to the agency’s innovation and groundbreaking work. “NASA’s research changes the world, and being part of that mission is a dream I’ve had for a while,” he said. NASA’s HAS program solidified Sarah Braun’s understanding of how a STEM career could encompass her diverse interests, from design and education to plotting spacecraft orbits and planning launches. From her time in HAS to her current space exploration career, Braun believes STEM can be as multifaceted as the people who pursue it. “HAS showed me the options ahead were as endless as my imagination,” she said. “The program convinced me that all my skills would be put to use in STEM, including getting to be creative and artistic.” Sarah Braun engages in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics outreach at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage, Michigan, standing beside a Gemini model. The program gave her the opportunity to network, problem-solve, and collaborate with students from various backgrounds. “Learning how to communicate designs I could picture in my head was the biggest challenge, but by observing my teammates and mentors, I built the skills I needed.” The networking opportunities she gained through HAS have also been instrumental to her academic and career growth. “The mentors I met through HAS have supported me throughout college and into my early career,” she said. “They taught me countless technical skills and how to best take advantage of my college years,”
STEM NASA HAS Program Space Exploration Education Career Development Youth Engagement Robotics Problem-Solving STEM Careers
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