Wissahickon High School student selected for prestigious NASA summer internship

Wissahickon High School Junior Jake Tan has been selected for the prestigious NASA Student Enhancement in Earth and Space Science summer internship, sponsored by NASA and the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research.

Students will work with scientists and engineers to conduct authentic research from data received from NASA’s earth observing satellites to study air quality, landforms, mosquito-borne diseases, and astronomy. This nationally competitive program selects students who will increase their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math through earth and space education.

SEES is a collaborative effort between NASA and The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. Students apply for SEES and are selected competitively. The internships are organized around an aerospace or space science theme drawn from NASA’s diverse engineering and scientific research programs. The program combines the strengths of collaborators to enrich teaching and learning of STEM.

Almost 2,000 applications were received for only 100 virtual internship positions. Students work remotely with their project scientist to conduct hands-on activities, field investigations, collaborate with NASA scientists and engineers through science presentations, and work on various NASA missions.

Tan said he was surprised to land the prestigious internship, but Wiss Nation is not! An exemplary student, Tan is currently taking five advanced placement classes — Physics, Chemistry, AB Calculus, US History and English Language and Composition — and is also enrolled in the Engineering Summer Academy at Penn this summer. He has been a member of the WHS Robotics Team since his freshman year.

Students selected will come together for the NASA SEES Virtual Symposium on July 22-24 to present the research findings to NASA scientists, NASA engineers, the public, and other NASA SEES participants.

The SEES internship proves that the excitement students feel about space science is a critical step in enriching science, math, engineering, and technology. The internship will provide students the rare – and for most, unique - opportunity to spend the summer working with professional scientists and engineers at the cutting edge of space exploration.