Pictured: MVHS Alumni Jennifer Stanley (photo courtesy of UA)

TUCSON- As a child growing up I would look up at the starry night sky and wonder what its like to be up there. Today, we have the technology to give us a clear picture of what lies beyond our atmosphere. More importantly, we have experts from the National Aeronautical Space Administration(NASA) to provide us with the latest information. In addition, NASA has reached out to universities and their students to engage them in valuable research of the space sciences for the benefit of everyone.

For three Navajo University of Arizona (UA) students an internship opportunity was recently awarded to them to participate and contribute scientific research alongside university professors partnered with NASA . In a recent UA article written by Rebecca Ruiz-McGill, the three UA students were selected for 2008-2009 NASA Space Grant Internships. Jennifer Stanley, a MVHS Alumni, will not have to wonder what is beyond our atmosphere because she will have an insider’s look of our universe that very few people have access to.

Stanley, an agriculture technology management major, is a senior this year. She was selected along with two other Native American students, Adriana Riggs and Erin Boyd, to be a part of this unique opportunity. The internship will provide paid experience for the students as they work on science related research. According the Arizona Space Grant Consortium (AZSGC) website, the UA students typically work 10-20 hours per week at $8.00/hr for approximately 30 weeks.

The students will be assigned mentors associated with the Space Grant program. Stanley will be paired with Barron Orr who is the associate director of the Arizona Remote Sensing Center and associate director of UA’s NASA Space Grant program.

Upon completion of their research, the students are required to present their findings at the annual Space Grant Symposium scheduled for April 17-18, 2009 at Arizona State University. Their brochure states that the Arizona Space Grant Program was ranked #2 out of 52 Space Grant Programs stemming from the Congressional mandated 10-year program review conducted in 1999 .