At some point we all dreamed of working with NASA, becoming astronauts, and going into space. Over the summer, senior Emily Jacobson got one step closer. Jacobson was accepted into the Washington Aerospace Scholar (WAS) program.
There are two phases to this program. The first phase is essentially another class about aeronautics and requires 15-20 hours of classwork each week.
“Phase one was so much work. It was basically an extra class and it was almost too much work to handle,” Jacobson said.
Once phase one finishes, participants can move on to the second phase, which is a residency at the Museum of Flight. Out of 300 students that were considered for phase two, Jacobson was one of 90 that were chosen.
“Getting into phase one was cool enough,” Jacobson said. “Getting into phase two was just a dream come true. I worked hard, so I was so proud of myself for getting to this point.”
Each day during the residency, the students would participate in morning and afternoon sessions. The morning sessions consisted of working in groups to plan a mission to Mars. In the afternoon, groups would visit other aeronautic companies or they would have competitions in which they would be planning other missions to mars.
Jacobson was the systems manager of her group, which is the highest position that a student could achieve in the program.
“To become systems manager, I had to interview over the phone and make a resume,” Jacobson said. “It all felt really adult-like so it was a great experience.”
WAS gives Jacobson five credits at the University of Washington as well as invaluable training for Jacobson’s future.
“I’m interested in becoming an aerospace engineer,” Jacobson said. “This was an amazing way to see what it’s like to be part of a project that works with space, and to be working with the types of companies that I hope to work with when I’m older.”