“I love working in STEM. There’s something about working at NASA, where you see new possibilities and amazing things happen all the time. During my first job at NASA [I’ll never forget], I was working in the newsroom and was sent a draft press release about the discovery of new exoplanets. I got so excited and thought, I can’t believe that I’m one of the first people reading about this discovery, and then tomorrow at noon, it will be released to the public, and everyone will feel this. I felt like an explorer, like I had made this amazing discovery on my own, but really, I was just reviewing a press release.
“I get to see that excitement on the faces of the next generation, kids of all ages, when they’re able to connect something on their own, or they have this new revelation of the world because that’s what the agency has brought to them. That palatable excitement reminds me of how excited I was, and it’s this kind of beautiful life cycle because it reenergizes me and gets me excited as well.
“NASA is so big on its own, and for kids to feel like they’re a part of it, it symbolizes this connection to great exploration and new discoveries. It makes them feel just as important and gets them excited thinking about what they can contribute or about learning something new. I’ve seen just one spark of curiosity create a great burning love and fire for learning.
“Some of the kids I’ve talked to [during STEM outreach] will tell me they like something, and then I see it’s created a more meaningful connection in the neighborhood. They’ll dress up as astronauts for Halloween, or when they see me, they’ll high-five me and tell me something they learned in science class. It spurs them on to not just make the connection at NASA but make the connection within themselves that they could do this if they wanted to. Not only can they be a part of STEM, but they realize they can also have a variety of interests in their life.”
—Katherine Brown, Public Affairs Officer, Office of STEM Engagement, NASA Headquarters
Image Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani
Interviewer: NASA / Tahira Allen