No fewer than six Amarillo College students received word early this year that they have been accepted into the National Community College Aerospace Scholars Program (NCAS) – an enterprise that could propel any one (or all) of them to an expenses-paid, three-day experience at a NASA center this spring.

The application process is competitive, and those accepted into the national program participate in a five-week online learning experience. The top-scoring scholars receive invitations to attend a three-day workshop at either Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Applicants must have completed at least nine credit hours in science, engineering, math or computer science. They are also must submit essays describing their interest in the opportunity.

These six AC students have informed the College of their acceptance into the program: Phillip Boothby, Nicolette Coulson, David Do, Brittany Love, Paige Miller and Crystal Nelson.

“When I learned about the program, my applying for it was automatic,” Paige Miller, an engineering major, said. “The possibility of going to NASA is a nerd’s dream come true. Someone asked me if I wanted to apply for this and I was like, ‘are you kidding – why wouldn’t I?”’

Nothing would suit David Do better than one day working as an astrophysicist at NASA, and the physics major credits AC faculty with helping prepare him for what lies ahead.

“Amarillo College is so student oriented,” Do said. “Faculty don’t just tell students what to do, they guide us through the process, they take our interests to heart and give us clarification about anything, from academics to life.

“Being accepted into this program is a great opportunity,” he said. “Hopefully I can earn a trip to one of the NASA centers; hopefully I’ll get selected to visit what I hope will be my future workplace.”

The NCAS program began for AC’s participants with an online orientation session on Jan. 7 and will continue for the next five weeks.

January 8, 2016