Trinity Student to Help NASA Design Mission to Mars

High School Junior Part of NASA's Effort to Recruit Future Aerospace Engineers

Texas State Representative Todd Smith was so impressed with Layo Obamehinti's leadership skills and academic abilities that he nominated her for the NASA High School Aerospace Scholars internship.

Obamehinti, a junior at Trinity High School, will travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston this summer to participate in the program, where she and other student interns will work as a team to design a mission to Mars.

"Layo is an excellent student," Smith said. "She is well rounded and uses her leadership skills in service to others."

Obamehinti is an International Baccalaureate student whose interests, besides aerospace, include sports, music, literature, and journalism.

"I wanted to learn more about what the different types of engineering that are involved with aerospace technology," she said. "I hope to learn more about what it takes to create missions to space. I want to challenge my critical thinking skills."

She has been selected as one of 350 high school juniors from across Texas to be part of High School Aerospace Scholars. They have been working to complete 10 Web-based assignments during this school year, all leading up to the NASA internship June 15 -20.

The State of Texas, in partnership with JSC and the Texas educational community, developed HAS in 1999 to encourage more students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). More than 1,500 students from across Texas have participated in the program since its inception.

Smith said NASA's vested interest in inspiring students to want to know more about science is important to Texas.

"Texas is fortunate to have NASA and its long-standing contribution toward education," he said. "America, and Texas specifically, has a severe shortage of expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These subjects are not only critical to NASA's future missions, but to the future of our state."

The weeklong experience at JSC includes a tour of JSC facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees, including astronauts. These students and teammates will conclude their experience by presenting their proposal at a luncheon to their parents, members of the Texas legislature, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Rotary NASA, and JSC senior management.

With this program, NASA continues the Agency's tradition of investing in the nation's educational programs. It is directly tied to the Agency's major educational goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, math), critical to NASA's future missions, which include missions returning to the moon, on to Mars, and beyond.

Visit http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/HAS/index.cfm for more information.