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For those who follow our social media or are part of the Aerospace and Innovation Academy family, you know our students do real-world experiential aerospace on a regular basis. Students find a place in the industry to capitalize on their passions and interests. Today’s two featured students have taken these opportunities to a whole new level. Paul Kiesling, a freshman at Exeter Academy, returns to share about his current research and entrepreneurial endeavors while Jasmin Schauer, a college student at Florida Atlantic University’s Honors College, discusses her work with osteoblasts as well as her presentations at recent conferences. In what we hope to be a series, we will interview  students who are actively engaged in setting their personal bars high in order to pursue their futures. As always, stay tuned after the episode for our takeaway! AIA website: www.aerospacehigh.org --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today Kevin and I meet with Megan Wnek who is entering her 4th year as an Aerospace Engineering student with an Electrical Engineering minor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.  She has interned as a structural engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics on the F-35 program and most recently, Northrop Grumman Space Systems as a systems engineering intern. During her time at UF, she has been involved in and led teams for multiple industry-sponsored design competitions including the NASA Student Launch Initiative, the NASA Tournament Lab Exploring Hell competition, and the Fairchild Growing Beyond Earth maker contest, in which her team placed in the top 5. Megan is passionate about exploration and its importance to the world and is striving for a career that will make the earth a better and safer place for future generations." We hope you will stay tuned after the episode for our takeaways. Aerospace and Innovation Academy website:  www.aerospacehigh.org --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

In an ongoing effort to prepare our students for their futures, today Kevin and I meet with Joseph Blassberg.  Joe began his counseling career at American University in Washington, D.C. then went on to serve as the Director of College Counseling at Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles.. There,  he implemented a college counseling curriculum and provided students and families with grade-level workshops, panel discussions, and college essay workshops. Most recently, Joe was the Director of College Counseling and Academic Dean at The Buckley School in Los Angeles, CA, Mr. Blassberg's accomplishments at Buckley are many; he guided thousands of students successfully through the academic advising and college process, and  he also brought new programs and innovations such as the annual college application and essay workshop, PSAT 8/9, and assisted in the redesign and revision of the Upper School profile and the college counseling materials. During his time at Buckley and Milken, Mr. Blassberg helped to place students in some of the world’s top colleges and universities including Amherst, Brown, Cal Tech, Cambridge, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, McGill, MIT, Oxford, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Williams, and Yale. Over the course of his career, Mr. Blassberg has visited over 500 college campuses in the United States and abroad. He has also participated in the Institute on College Admissions sponsored jointly by Harvard University and The College Board, and he has presented at conferences and sat on committees for the National Association for College Admission Counseling Mr. Blassberg has now joined The Greene School in West Palm Beach, Fl as the Director of College Counseling as the school begins its high school journey this Fal/The Greene School family is sure to benefit from his wisdom, and we know our listeners will as well. Stay tuned. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today, we meet with Karolina Rivera-Osorio,  a young lady with an avid interest in STEM with a particular focus on the psychological effects of living in space. Karolina was an intern at NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate supporting the Mars sample Return Mission. She participated in Human Factors creating the first Lunar Transport Modules for Incapacitated Astronauts for Johnson Space Center while studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Recently, Karolina spent the last 7 months in France researching “The Psychology of Sustainable Agriculture for Future Martian Astronauts,” using hydroponics/microgreens in a Mars analog.  In addition to her interest in these areas, Karolina is also a scuba diver and pilot, and she loves  gardening, music and traveling. It was fascinating hearing how she blended her many passions into a career field and we know you will be likewise impressed --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today we meet with Kevin Johnson, a Systems Engineer at Jacobs supporting the Artemis Program for NASA based out of the Kennedy Space Center. As a first generation college student born to a single teenage mother and raised under the poverty line, Kevin spent his early years working in the food service industry, honing a hard working and team oriented skillset to succeed. This also led to him planning for the future, a 20 year career target that is dedicated to being a lead for the human mission to Mars. After graduating from Penn State University with Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering, he spent 10 years at Boeing as an engineer supporting the entire Rotorcraft program lifecycle: from proposal to production, sustainment, and R&D efforts. Eventually after taking a brief stint as a contractor for Lockheed Martin's Navy Nuclear Propulsion team; it was then that  Kevin took a dream opportunity to work in the space industry Along the way, Kevin gas taken time and effort to give back and has been volunteering in local communities since he was thirteen. Recognized by Boeing for his community give back, receiving the "Community Outreach" award, he spent over 7 years as an instructor for the "Girls in Science and Technology" program (GiST) Kevin is also an active member in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) serving on the Cape Canaveral Council,  which is where he met our Kevin, and is a and a volunteer/judge for both FIRST Robotics and the International Science and Engineering Fair Kevin was recently accepted to the PnD aero engineering program at a husband to a very patient wife, and a proud father to two young children. We know you will love his story as he inspires us with his vision and advice --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today, we meet with, Space Florida President and CEO, Frank DiBello. in May 2009 Mr. DiBello was chosen to lead Space Florida, which is the principal state agency for aerospace-related economic development, and the Space Authority for the State of Florida. In his position, he develops and executes programs designed to attract, retain and grow aerospace business across the state. Additionally, Mr. DiBello focuses on Florida aerospace workforce development and retention as well as international partnership development. Mr. DiBello holds more than 50 years of direct aerospace, defense and emerging space industry-related experience. Frank spent more than 20 years at KPMG, in various management positions, and served on President Reagan’s Grace Commission. For his service to the Nation in this Commission, he was presented with a Presidential Citation.  Mr. DiBello formed SpaceVest, a Venture Capital Firm focused on investments in companies taking defense and space technologies to commercial applications and markets.  Prior to Space Florida he served as President and CEO of Constellation Communications, International and was President/CEO of Florida’s Aerospace Finance Corporation (FAFC). Mr. DiBello has been involved in multiple civic, social and industry volunteer organizations. He founded the Washington Space Business Roundtable and for his work as President of the Board of the USO Metropolitan Washington, he received the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University, and did graduate work at American and George Washington Universities. Recently Mr. DiBello was inducted into the Space Satellite Hall of Fame. Register for Summer Sessions at the Aerospace and Innovation Academy here:  https://forms.gle/YFqTyviJRtzipKX19 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Dr. Anand “Sunny” Narayanan is currently a Research Professor at Florida A&M AND  - Florida State University (FAMU-FSU). As a first-generation, immigrant, Indian American from a disadvantaged background, Sunny has held a life-long interest in encouraging diversity through educational outreach and interdisciplinary projects. Sunny holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in Medical and Space Physiology, and B.S. degrees from West Virginia University in Mechanical Engineering and Biology. Sunny took his first professional steps with NASA,  supporting systems engineering computational projects at the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, completing team-based design-build-fly projects through NASA’s Microgravity University program, and conducting nanotechnology biomedical research as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. He continued his academic steps at Texas A&M University, supported by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute for his doctorate to study physiological adaptations of astronauts during their journey in space., Now as a Research Professor, he continues his support of NASA’s space program, leading and supporting multiple biomedical studies investigating the physiological effects of deep space radiation, Lunar, and Martian gravity, relevant to our human space exploration goals as we return to the Moon and beyond through the Artemis program. Finally, Sunny is encouraging of individuals from all backgrounds demonstrating interest in aerospace careers. He is involved and serves as an advisor for organizations including Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, Zed Factor Fellowship, Global Brigades, Space Generation Advisory Council, Lymphatic Education & Research Network, to inspire and support the next-generation of STEAM leaders. Check out the Aerospace and Innovation Academy website here: www.aerospacehigh.org Register for Summer STEM Sessions HERE: --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Dr. Jin S. Kang (Suk Jin Kang) is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, and serves as the Director of the Naval Academy Small Satellite Program. His main research area is in small satellite technology development and was involved in development of four micro-satellites and numerous CubeSat satellites. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from Stanford University, and Ph.D. from Korea Aerospace University (KAU) in Aerospace Engineering. After working for General Electric for two years, Kang taught at Korea Air Force Academy, KAU, and Drexel University before joining the Naval Academy faculty We are so excited to learn more how aerospace and the military connect and as always stay tuned for takeaway after show Link to AIA summer registration:  https://forms.gle/aJqAKuT3tny5qKDG8 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today we are excited to get an update on the BigRedSat, a CubeSat we first learned about last year.In fact two early podcast episodes (found linked in the show notes) served as an introduction to this team which included middle- university level students as well as an interview with one of their biggest supporters, John McClure. Sadly, John passed this year but his dream for a CubeSat in Nebraska is still in the works But today we meet with John Helzer:  the special systems team lead for AXP, which is mentoring the Big Red Satellite team's middle & high schoolers. He is currently a junior specializing in Mechanical engineering at the university of Nebraska Lincoln. He is joined by one of their high school students, Robert Schmidt. As always, stay tuned after for the takeaway. Link to Episode 17 The Legacy of John McClure and BigRedSat Link to Episode 19 BigRedSat student perspectives with Joel Murch-Shafer and Elsa Meyer --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today, Kevin meets with Nicholas Marshall, a Junior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach Fl . There, he is studying Aerospace Engineering with an Aeronautics Track. Nicholas is an active member of Design Build Fly at Embry-Riddle, and he recently participated with our group as part of this yea’s American Insitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Congressional Visit Day. A proud Eagle Scout, Nicholas hopes to work on military aviation projects upon graduation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today’s guest, Craig Glover, was raised in a community much like those in the Palm Beach County community he now serves. His experience growing up in an economically challenged area has helped him recognize his many blessing, and to survive several life challenges. Currently, Craig is excited to serve others as the Executive Director of Northend RISE. RISE is a resident-driven, family and systems based non-profit movement, dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for the residents of the Northend, Coleman Park and Pleasant City communities. RISE works to improve quality of life by focusing on education, employment, housing and wellness.. Mr.Glover  is a builder and community servant. He’s also a serial entrepreneur, has over 20 years of experience in executive healthcare leadership roles, helped build multiple billion dollar brands and specializes in start-ups. Craig earned his B.S. degree from Florida A&M University and M.B.A. from the University of Miami. His civic involvement includes: steering committee member of Healthier Neighbors; member of Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2019; Advisor  to the APOLLO National Institute of Health study and; he was recognized as a 2018 Everyday Hero by the Black and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. He and his late wife Bonnie were married for 36 years and produced two wonderful sons, Matthew and Benjamin. Kevin and I are big fans of the work Mr. Glover does, and we know you will be after this podcast. As always stay tuned after for our takeaways.  https://www.northendrise.org/ AIA Summer Sessions registration link AIA webpage AIA FB: @go2space --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today Kevin and I meet with Kadija Rahman and Amina Zulfi, founders of The Little Martians. Kadija  is an Information Technology Engineer and certified STEM Educator in Teaching Primary Science and Amina, an electronics engineer turned educator, is a certified STEM activity designer and STEM curriculum planner. The Little Martians was founded with the objective of building a strong maker community in India, starting from a young age. The group inspires bright students and mentors  them to find meaningful footing in this challenging world, forming  a path for Indian youngsters to explore and grow. As always, stay tuned after the episode for our takeaways.  Little Martians FB: https://www.facebook.com/thelittlemartians/ AIA Summer Sessions registration and information link: https://forms.gle/k44Hv7ZFvpnPa4aC7 AIA website: www.aerospacehigh.org AIA FB @Go2Space --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Mr. Patrick H. Stakem has been fascinated by the space program since the Vanguard launches in 1957. He received a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and Masters Degrees in Physics and Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University. At Carnegie, he worked with a group of undergraduate students to re-assemble, modify, and operate a surplus missile guidance computer, which was later donated to the Smithsonian. He was brought up in the mainframe era, and was taught to never trust a computer you could lift. He began his career in Aerospace with Fairchild Industries on the ATS-6 (Applications Technology Satellite-6) program, a communication satellite that developed much of the technology for the TDRSS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System). He followed the ATS-6 Program through its operational phase, and worked on other projects at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center including the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), some of the Landsat missions, and Shuttle. He was posted to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Mars-Jupiter-Saturn (MJS-77), which later became the Voyager mission, and which is still operating and returning data from outside the solar system at this writing. He initiated and lead the international Flight Linux Project for NASA's Earth Sciences Technology Office. He is the recipient of the Shuttle Program Manager's Commendation Award, and has completed 42 NASA Certification courses. He has two NASA Group Achievement Awards, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Program Award. Now he supports International collaborative open-source projects, and STEM Programs. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today Kevin and I meet with Amy Trujillo, a professional educator and author with 20 years experience working with students from elementary school through adults. Currently she is the Instructional Coach at Orlando Science Schools where she oversees STEM, as well as oversees the gifted plans for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Ms. Trujillo is also n innovator and advocate for the needs of diverse learners.  She believes in integrating science, technology, engineering, and math into all lessons so students grasp the concepts as well as gain the skills they need for the future workforce. Over the course of her career, Amy has received numerous awards and earned several certifications. Among these are the Global Math Ambassador, National Geographic Certified Educator, LEGO Education Master Educator, Nearpod Certified Educator, Kahoot Gold Coach, and a Google Certified Educator. Currently Amy is the president of the Florida Association for the Gifted, the past president of the Florida Association of Science Teachers, and is the new NSTA Area Five Director. As always, stay tuned after the interview for our takeaways.  FLAG Website: https://www.floridagifted.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

"Let’s Go to Space: BLUESKY Learning" is part of a larger educational initiative called the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, which seeks to provide unique and distinctive stem opportunities for passionate middle and high schoolers.  While we often highlight careers in aerospace, today’s podcast is the third in a series where we have been hearing from  parents of students who have incredible resume builders to hear how they believe the program has impacted their child. Today for episode 57 we meet with Mr. Bill Mayville and Mr. Paul Kiesling. Paul Kiesling is the father of two active Wolf Pack Students, Paul Jr who is currently a 9th grader at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Dylan Kiesling, a 6th grader at the Weiss ​School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Paul is a Global Co-Head of Implementation and Operational Due Diligence at a International Asset Management Company and has a career that has taken him all over the world. Paul feels that the Wolfpack provides innovative global opportunities for its students and fosters a framework for success that the students can apply in all facets of life. Bill Mayville is a successful entrepreneur, civic leader and 10 year military veteran rising to rank of Captain and earning awards and recognition. Today, Bill is president of Workaway International. This company recruits and provides staff for residential country clubs, ensuring that the clubs have qualified, trained, drug-free domestic and international workers to support their operations.  He successfully led and sold numerous companies prior his CEO position at Workaway international.  He is a graduate of Furman University and earned an MBA from Florida International University. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Let’s Go to Space BLUESKY Learning is part of a larger educational initiative called the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, which seeks to provide unique and distinctive stem opportunities for passionate middle and high schoolers. While we often highlight careers in aerospace, today’s podcast is the third in a series where we have been hearing from  parents of students who have incredible resume builders to hear how they believe the program has impacted their child. This is our second episode in the series.  Dr. Ruhi Ahmed currently serves as Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs at two companies: FLAG Therapeutics Inc.and at Asceneuron She has nearly 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Dr. Ahmed earned her B.S. in Biology and M.A. in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin, and her M.S. in Regulatory Sciences and Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Southern California.. Today, she is the proud mom of seventh grader Argyrios Vaitsos who spoke recently at the Hawaiian International Conference of Education Gary Vescio  is Managing Director of SOUND Wealth Management Group which is a leading financial management and advisory group affiliated with Raymond James.  He is also a former executive of a Fortune 200 technology firm and holds an MBA from the University of Miami. He and his wife Jackie are the parents of 3 boys - the oldest, Michael, who is currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and was an inaugural member of our Cube-Sat program; and twins Elliott and Tyler who are members of the team today. SHOW NOTE: Mr. Vescio appears about halfway through due to a log-in issue.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today: we bring you Episode 55: Parent Perspectives:  Supporting Student Success in the AIA with Eran Levy and Stephanie Welch. Mr. Eran Levy has a bachelors in business and computer science. He is an expert in sales and marketing strategy and is the lead for customer success at Cisco along with being a dad of two, including son Daniel who recently spoke at the Hawaiian International Conference of Education.  Mrs. Stephanie Welch is a mother of 3 with a bachelor's in both psychology and dietetics. She is currently focused on pursuing her passion for dietetics, but in her spare time, she accompanies Owen, a senior on his international trips to Beijing, Dubai more. As always, please stay tuned after the episode for our takeaways, and check us on out FB @Go2space --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

We are fortunate to have interviewed several amazing educators during our time producing this podcast. Today, we add another rock star to that list: Frederick Hermann has been teaching at the MakuaLani Christian Academy on the big island of Hawaii for twelve years. While his passion is aerospace, Frederick holds a BA in English with a minor in mathematics and a Masters in Special Education. Before becoming a high school teacher, Frederick taught GED in prison in NC; tutored adults in reading, math, and police tests; and was lead teacher for a hispanic after-school program. Now, with his leadership, his students have achieved amazing feats including winning the International Grand Prize in 2021 for the National Space Society’s space settlement contest. Additionally, they received top honors in NASA’s HUNCH contest for their work on a food bite dispenser. This year, Frederick was recognized for his work in space education by the national space club as the Space Educator of the Year, and he and his students are currently working on a ground station that will help our two teams collaborate by receiving telemetry from a Cube Sat. We were excited to meet him an his students face to face at the Hawaiian International Conference on Education this past January, and we look forward to more work with him. As always, stay tuned after for our takeaways. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today, we meet with seventh and eighth grade members of the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, our parent company, to discuss one aspect of the unique opportunities our students are eligible to undertake to help separate them from their peers. Argyrios Deanie Vaitsos, Michael Mikati, and Finley Strauss are middle schoolers who have written several technical papers and have even presented at international conferences including the IAC in Dubai, and, most recently the Hawaiian International Conference on Education in Jan. Today, they will share about why they take on adult style responsibilities and how doing so has helped to prepare them for their next steps in life. If you or a student you know is interested in doing this kind of experiential STEM work, please check out our website at www.aerospacehigh. Org or our social media sites on FB and IG. As always stay tuned after the show for our takeaways. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support

Today we meet with Dr. Pradeep Shinde. Dr. Shinde  received his PhD from Florida International University in Mechanical Engineering and is the CEO of SpaceLoon™, a company being built at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's MicaPlex. He has expertise in High-Altitude Balloons and CubeSat instrumentation and has received four awards from NASA-FSGC (NASA-Florida Space Grant Consortium) over the course seven years which helped him with his entrepreneurial goals. SpaceLoon™ (Space Balloon Technologies) Corp. was founded in 2018, Since then, the technology has been matured by field demonstrations and commercialization risk reductions. SpaceLoon has attracted some investments from friends and family, has verbal confirmation from a few angel investors, an active NSF I-Corps grant and an active NSF SBIR Phase-I submission. At present SpaceLoon is engaged with the student ballooning program with the support from NASA-FSGC Dr. Shinde has mentored several students in the acquiring of aerospace skills and he pioneered the culture of electric vehicle development by leading competitions for his teams. We look forward to partnering with him in the future and as always, stay tuned for our takeaway. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shawna-christenson2/support