Grand Prairie High School student headed to NASA program

by Kirk Dickey of Grand Prairie TODAY

Grand Prairie High School junior Audra Burnap will get an out of this world opportunity this summer.

Burnap will travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to participate in a one-week summer internship as a part of the High School Aerospace Scholars program. She is among 314 juniors in the state to participate in the program.

“It sounds really interesting to go down there,” Burnap said. “I kind of like astronomy and all of the different stars. But I am really just a big math, science and engineering kind of person.”

She said that the engineering part of the project interested her and that she would like to do something in the math or science fields when she graduates.

That love of math and science is one of the reasons NASA chose Burnap to participate in the program.

The state, in partnership with the space center, developed the HAS program in 1999 to encourage more students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More than 1,200 students from across Texas have participated in the program since its inception.

“With this program, NASA continues the Agency's tradition of investing in the nation's educational programs,” a release on the program states. “It is directly tied to the Agency's major education goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines critical to NASA's future missions, which include missions returning to the moon, on to Mars and beyond.”

Burnap has been working to complete 10 web-based assignments which she will apply during her internship at the space center as part of a team to design a mission to Mars. The lessons include writing essays, designing upgrades to be used on the shuttle and the International Space Station, solving math problems and taking online quizzes.

Audra's mother, Karen, gushes about her daughter's success at the online requirements, saying she has made a 96 or better on each.

“She has done fantastic just on the webpage requirements, so I can't imagine why she wouldn't do well (in the internship),” Karen said. “I am extremely proud of her. She amazes me all of the time. Both of my kids do.”

The week-long experience at the space center includes a tour of JSC facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees - including astronauts. Audra and teammates will conclude their experience by presenting their proposal at a luncheon to their parents, members of the Texas Legislature, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Rotary NASA and JSC senior management.

Audra said that she is eager to see what goes on behind the scenes at NASA.

Audra was nominated by Texas Representative Kirk England.