Polk State LSAMP student partakes in NASA Virtual Experience
Earlier this fall, one Polk State College sophomore had the opportunity to go to the moon – sort of.
Arron-Dante Cardenas, 19, was selected by NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) to take part in NCAS Mission 2: Exploration Simulation. Funded by the Minority University Research and Education Program, Cardenas spent eight days in October taking part in a NASA Virtual Experience where he and fellow junior college students from across the nation worked together online to plan a space mission.
“It was a really fun experience,” Cardenas said. “We learned how NASA handled and designed missions to space.”
To earn the opportunity, Cardenas successfully completed a five-week NCAS course online and applied for the virtual experience in partnership with Polk State’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program. He was among students from across the country selected to participate.
“I woke up to my phone vibrating after receiving an email that I had been selected,” Cardenas recalled. “After I read it, I jumped out of bed I was so excited. It was surreal.”
Cardenas was partnered with several other students during the NASA program in which they were tasked with planning a mission to either Mars or the moon. Each took on a specific role. As his crew’s computer engineer, he researched current NASA technologies and machinery and helped design a rover to explore the moon.
“I feel like we worked really well together,” he said. “There were some challenges along the way. I don’t think we had a complete success, but we did pretty well overall.”
Cardenas had been homeschooled since the age of 10 before attending Polk State. John Fynn, Program Manager for STEM, said Cardenas initially had concerns about how well he’d fit in at the College, but has been a welcome addition. Cardenas has previously been an ambassador for LSAMP and vice president of STEM Club.
“I assured him that as long as he was involved, he would do great,” Fynn said. “He has been involved since day one and has really helped increase our membership. For students to get opportunities like (the NASA Virtual Experience), it’s just a joy to see.”
A second-year student at Polk State, Cardenas said being a member of LSAMP, a program that promotes diversity in the science, engineering, mathematics, and technology (STEM) fields, and STEM Club has paved the way for new learning opportunities.
“My favorite thing about LSAMP is the variety of opportunities that I’ve had,” he added. “I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of like-minded people interested in the STEM fields.”
Scheduled to graduate from Polk State with his Associate in Arts in the spring of 2025, Cardenas plans on attending the University of Central Florida and majoring in computer science. Cardenas hopes to one day work for NASA as a software developer or engineer.
“I thought about different career paths,” he said. “My dad is an IT technician, so I had a lot of familiarity with it. I later realized that I loved it, and it would be a great field to work in.”
According to Torry Johnson, Project Manager for the Minority University Research and Education Program, the goal of NCAS is to create opportunities for community college students in STEM fields and potential future careers at NASA. NASA employs about 19,000 people, per the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“As a computer science major, there aren’t that many internship opportunities,” Cardenas added. “I wanted to take advantage of all the opportunities I could. This was a chance to really enhance my resume and get some exposure.
“For other students who don’t think they have a way to get experience for what they want to do, be open to any opportunity,” Cardenas urged. “You never know where it’s going to take you.”