In my past few blog posts, I briefly touched on how I got this really cool opportunity with NASA but I didn't really tell you guys what it actually consists of. So, without out delay, let me break the suspense. First thing that I want to announce is that I finally have a mentor! Her name his Dr. Thomas-Keprta and she is a senior planetary scientist at NASA. And yes, she is from NASA. Despite her being a long way from Dallas, she has some really cool things for me to do and I am so excited about that. In March, I will be going down to Houston, TX to attend the Lunar Planetary Science Conference with her. I will get the opportunity to see how scientists present their research to a large audience and I will also get the opportunity to network with various individuals. Afterwards, my mentor and I've planned to go to the Johnson Space Center and spend a day or two doing research on a Martian meteorite called Nakhla. We are going to be focusing on the carbonaceous matter in the meteorite. Additionally, I will get the chance to use a UV- fluorescence microscopy to investigate regions that are particularly interesting. I will also be getting to use a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy to understand the organic matter. If this isn't exciting enough, my mentor told me that she has a really cool surprise for me. She didn't give me any clue of what it was and I am dying to know. I can't believe that I have to wait until March to find out but I know for sure it will be worth the wait. I am so thrilled about this whole experience. I went from not having a clue about where to start with my career to actually being able to do research with a NASA Scientist. It feels like I am in a dream. I am just so happy and grateful for this opportunity. I am so happy that Dr. Thomas-Keprta is my mentor. She is one of the most humble, funny, nice, and brilliant person I know. I am so fortunate to have guidance from her because she is one of the best scientists at NASA. She already sent me a lot of very cool research papers for my original work and I personally had so much fun reading through them. The resources she has sent me is helping me get ready for Research Showcase. Having Dr. Thomas-Keprta as my mentor has changed my life already and I am so glad that I got that opportunity through ISM.
