Teens Get Taste Of Mission Control At Honeywell Space Camp

HOUSTON, TX — In the 197os and 80s, kids who grew up seeing rocket launches of Apollo astronauts, or the launches of space shuttle missions dreamed of taking a trip to the stars.

It is that spirit of curiousity and exploration that fueled that drive in decades past, and thanks to the programs that promote an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) the desire to explore is still alive and well in young students today.

Earlier this month, more than 300 students from 35 countries and 25 U.S. states got an amazing opportunity to attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, and Aashi Sanchorawala, 16, a student at Stephen F. Austin High School in Houston was among them.

"I made friends with people from all over the world that I am still in contact with," she said. "It was really fun."

The weeklong program is held at the at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and is open to all students, ages 16-18, of current full-time Honeywell employees around the world.

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HLCA is a unique scholarship program developed in partnership with the US Space & Rocket Center that uses interactive technology and science-oriented workshops and team exercises to teach high school students leadership skills in STEM fields.

Students engage in team-building challenges such as designing, building and testing their own model rockets; participating in simulated astronaut training sessions; coding challenges; shuttle missions; a moonwalk; and performing scientific experiments and other unique activities.

The program also includes a rocketry activity to introduce students to computer science, aiming to encourage interest by addressing the coding gap.

"We were put through a series of challenging tasks, such as buildng and testing our own model rockets, with very little instruction," she said. "They just wanted to put us through these [exercises] to see where we are and what challenges could help us in the future."

Each year, several hundred students apply for admission to one of the two weeklong sessions, and those students who make it have passed through a rigorous application and review process based on academic achievement and community involvement.

Aashi said she sent in her initial application to the program last summer, and didn't receive a reply until December.

That got the ball rolling with follow up interviews ande essays until she was finally admitted to the program.

Since its launch in 2010, Honeywell, in partnership with the USSRC, has awarded more than 2,091 scholarships to students.

Aashi, who asoires to beocme a NASA engineer someday, said she learned a great deal about herself that went beyond the realm of academics.

"I learned that I am quick on my feet," she said. "I learned that I am able to do things under pressure, which I never thought I was able to do."

Aashi, who admittedly has always focused on the aspect of self-reliance on projects, also learned about the importance of working with a team.

"We had challenges where we were in mission control and you had to get your team to the International Space Station," she said. "After doing simulations like that, and seeing the teamwork and amount success you felt...That's something I want to do. I want to go into engineering where you have to work with a team."

Image: Courtesy Aashi Sanchorawala

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