My landlord is in space: life as a NASA intern
Above: Storm in Flight Operations at Johnson Space Center.
Header Photo: Storm and other NASA interns at the astronaut training facility.
Anthony Storm is hard at work at NASA鈥檚 Johnson Space Center, developing plans for upcoming tests that will support astronauts in future missions.
An aerospace junior at the 澳门开奖结果2023开奖记录, Storm is gaining hands-on experience through the an internship where participants collaborate with front-line NASA engineers and astronauts.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten to do training with astronauts going up to the International Space Station, and you get on a first-name basis with them,鈥 Storm said. 鈥淔or I went to their cake cutting when they were certified for space flight, which is a NASA tradition.鈥
Across each internship, participants spend time in three different areas at NASA. The locations vary depending on student interests and availability, but for Storm, he began in flight operations at JSC, then moved to White Sands doing propulsion testing, and is now back at JSC in pyrotechnics.
As students often come long distances for the program, NASA helps participants find a place to live, with landlords who are literally out of this world.
鈥淛SC has an internal website called Space City Housing. NASA certifies employees who have rooms available and you can rent directly from them. I鈥檓 renting from and her husband. She just came down on the Soyuz MS-25 after six months in space Storm said.
Although many internships take place during the summer, NASA requires a portion of Pathways be completed during the fall or spring semesters, which means participants must delay college graduation, typically by a year.
Storm playing basketball with astronaut and former Navy SEAL
鈥淚t was a hard decision, but the opportunities Pathways gives me, the career building and resume building is absolutely incredible,鈥 Storm said. 鈥淚t is absolutely worthwhile to work in this environment.鈥
Most pathways students also subsequently earn full-time jobs at NASA.
鈥淗alf of the civil service employees at JSC came through the Pathways program. It's a huge deal at NASA. Basically everyone you work for in the program has the opportunity to send you a job offer,鈥 Storm said.
Storm is a non-traditional student. Now age 26, he joined the Marines after graduating high school.
鈥淲hen I graduated I wasn鈥檛 really going anywhere. I didn鈥檛 have the best grades, but I am pretty patriotic, so I enlisted and became an 0351 Assaultman, which is an infantry man specializing in demolition and rocket launchers,鈥 he said.
He spent four years in the Marines and after his term was up in 2021, enrolled at 澳门开奖结果2023开奖记录. Although a native of California, his family has long ties to Colorado 鈥 he is a fourth generation 澳门开奖结果2023开奖记录 student. His great-grandmother, grandfather, and father all are Buff alumni.
鈥湴拿趴苯峁2023开奖记录鈥檚 aerospace program is really good, and I鈥檝e always been a space nerd,鈥 he said.
Storm has also become the third generation in his family to work or intern at JSC, after his grandfather and uncle.
Storm is a strong advocate for the Pathways program. He and two peers have started CU Gateway, a student organization to help students with applications and the interview process.
鈥淚 applied to Pathways because another student came on a whim to talk to our class about it,鈥 Storm said. 鈥淣ow I鈥檝e been through it, and the application and interviews are hard, so I wanted to show people the opportunities that are available and how cool this program is. During breaks, I get to play dodgeball with astronauts. It鈥檚 amazing.鈥
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Storm during his service in the Marines.
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