Brittany Green shot for the stars when looking for an internship, and landed there8212;sort of.
Green, a senior in communication and math, applied for an internship with Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars through NASA. Her specific role was in the News Media and Public Affairs office.
Among some of her duties were photojournalism, conducting interviews and writing articles.
Hampton, Va., became Green’s home away from home. She lived 10 minutes from the research center with three roommates.
None of the students had known each other but they quickly bonded, spending time in Washington D.C. and Kitty Hawk, N.C. They spent all their free time with movies and friends, Green said.
“My roommates and the people I met were probably my favorite part of the experience,” Green said.
A highlight of Green’s internship was going to a test launch. She had to leave at about 3 a.m. to get to the site in time for the 6 a.m. launch.
“It was exhausting, but unforgettable,” Green said.
When she got there, she first went to the control room. The scientists were looking nervous for the launch, Green said. Then they escorted her to a different location to watch the launch.
She spent 10 weeks with students from around the country in the Langley Research Center, NASA’s first center. The center played a large role in the moon landing of 1969.
Green applied for the internship and was accepted last March after submitting transcripts, recommendations, essays and doing an interview.
“It was an amazing experience,” Green said.
Out-of-state internships are good for students looking to build a network and move out of Utah, said Abby Dohanos, academic advisor in communication. Although internships can be done any semester, summer internships are more popular than ones during fall or spring because students are taking fewer classes and can focus more time on an internship, Dohanos said.