High School Aerospace Scholars Propel STEM Leaders Forward

[NASA]

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at Johnson Space Center in Houston offers students a unique gateway to opportunity through the High School Aerospace Scholars (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!”

Meet Former HAS Student Neel Narayan 

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.” 

Neel Narayan at NASA’s High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) 20th anniversary ceremony.

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.” 

Neel Narayan, University of Stanford.

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. 

Meet Sarah Braun 

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. I would never have made it to where I am today without HAS!”  

After completing the HAS program, Braun interned with NASA, where she worked on space systems and paved the way for her career at Collins Aerospace.  

Sarah Braun at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. She stands in front of the hardware she now works on at Collins Aerospace.

Braun advises high school students uncertain about their career paths to get engaged and ask questions. “There are so many people out there who pursue STEM to follow a passion or challenge themselves,” she said. “Talking with people about what they have experienced and learned has been a huge help and inspiration for me throughout the years.”  

She is also passionate about inspiring and educating others. “Whether I’m leading after-school STEM clubs or mentoring students, outreach and teaching have become my biggest contributions to NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery,” said Braun.  

 Meet Audrey Scott  

Audrey Scott credits the HAS program with giving her a chance to explore science in the real world. “I experienced the excitement space could bring through livestream events like the landing of NASA’s InSight Lander mission and Cassini’s Grand Finale,” she said.  

Audrey Scott, front, with fellow 2019 HAS graduates.

Scott shared that the HAS program opened her eyes to the vast possibilities within STEM fields. Seeing the many ways to apply a STEM degree in practice broadened her perspective and inspired her to pursue her passion. 

After HAS, Scott chose to study astrophysics at the University of Chicago in Illinois, where she is now pursuing her Ph.D. in experimental cosmology and laying the groundwork for a future in space exploration. 

“My time with HAS and its encouragement of STEM excellence gave me the confidence I needed to take the plunge,” said Scott. 

The program also transformed her approach to teamwork and exposed her to fast-paced problem-solving. “My school didn’t prioritize group projects, so working with people from all different backgrounds and personalities was informative for my future work in college,” she said. “HAS was a safe space to experiment with being both a leader and collaborator.”   

She encourages high school students uncertain of their path to “try everything.” Scott advises, “If you have a moment of fascination, take advantage of that intellectual and creative energy, and learn something new. Time spent realizing you don’t like something is just as useful as time spent realizing you do.” She also recommends seeking out resources, finding mentors, and talking to everyone. 

Scott continues to connect with some of her HAS cohort, especially young women navigating STEM paths alongside her. “We’ve been able to support each other through challenges,” she said. “Being part of HAS made me, in a way, part of the NASA family.” 

Audrey Scott, front, with fellow 2019 HAS graduates.

Scott’s HAS experience opened doors to opportunities like the Brooke Owens Fellowship, where she worked on a satellite in partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and later the Illinois Space Grant award, which took her to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. She envisions part of her thesis research as a Ph.D. candidate taking place at a NASA center and remains open to a future at the agency.  

“I’ll continue advocating for space exploration and pushing the boundaries of what’s known,” she said. “In my research, I’m driven by questions like, ‘What did the beginning of the universe look like—and why are we here?’”

 

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