NVC Students Participate in NASA Community College Program

Two Northwest Vista College (NVC) students are participating in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Program (NCAS) Mission 3. This experiential learning opportunity includes a 10-day virtual program followed by five days onsite at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.

According to Dr. Martha Trevino of the Alamo Colleges District Office of Workplace Learning, NVC students Kyra Dowling and Angelica Alvis have progressed to the NCAS Mission 3: Innovate – an engineering design challenge. During the mission, the students will participate in the design challenge, facility tours, expert presentations, workshops, networking, and job shadowing.

“Northwest Vista College students who learn about NASA through this experiential learning have an exciting opportunity to engage in STEM fields. These hands-on experiences place students on the path to high wage, high demand careers,” said NVC Interim President Debi Gaitan.

NVC students in the workplace learning program work with organizations including NASA, the City of San Antonio Ambassador Internship Program, other federal agencies, non-profit agencies, and other local and remote businesses.

“Our objective is to offer Alamo Colleges students workplace experience in their field of study to encourage degree completion and job-seeking success post-graduation,” said Trevino.

Designed to build STEM skills and knowledge, the NCAS program is conducted through three missions including orientation, simulation, and design challenges. As a participant concludes one Mission, they have the opportunity to progress to the next.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity, and I am so grateful to NVC for introducing me to the NCAS program. I wouldn’t have known about the NCAS Mission Program if it weren’t for Dr. Trevino,” said Dowling.

An additional 14 Northwest Vista College (NVC) students completed the NCAS program Missions 1 and 2 during the spring 2023 semester.

Overall, more than 50 NVC students from the spring semester were selected to participate in an experiential learning program, with some students having multiple placements. These learning opportunities are either operated, promoted, or hosted by the Alamo Colleges District Office of Workplace Learning.