This week featured the 5th annual CORE4 STEM Expo in San Antonio, Texas, organized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  CORE4 refers to the 4 subjects that make up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

One of the keynote speakers for the Latino day was Robert Trevino.  He grew up in a barrio of San Antonio and eventually (with persistence and adaptability!) moved into some fascinating and amazing jobs within NASA.  He shared stories about riding dozens of times on the NASA zero-gravity research aircraft (also known as “the Vomit Comet”).  As a future EVA Suit project leader (Extravehicular Activity), he has been to Antarctica more than once!  Who knew rocket scientists get to work in Antarctica?!  Not me until I heard him.

Here is a 9-minute video that shows Robert walking around his old neighborhood in San Antonio, talking about his childhood and early start into engineering.  His story reminds me a lot about the story of Homer Hickam and the movie “October Sky” (which is mentioned in Tip #4 of my book, by the way).  Yet another inspiring example to show that rocket scientists can come from many backgrounds.  What’s your story?  And how would you like it to grow into the field of aerospace?  Find your passion and identify the steps that will help you move toward your goals!