School of Engineering and Computer Science student Mark Castaneda ’25 is living out his dream internship this summer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as a research assistant.
Below, he tells us what a typical day interning at NASA looks like for him, how he made his resume stand out (hint: it involves a cool Pacific engineering physics project), and his advice to students for persevering through hardship.
What I do at my internship
I am currently a junior research assistant under Dr. Martin Cordiner in the Astrochemistry/Planetary Sciences Department.
A normal day for me is spent manipulating and analyzing data obtained from the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) Radio Observatory. Right now, I am observing Venus’s atmosphere, using radio spectroscopy to identify chemicals, temperatures and wind speeds.
When I was first offered the position, my mentor told me to be prepared for a challenging summer. He wasn’t kidding! This has been one of the most academically challenging experiences of my life, and equally rewarding.
How I got this opportunity
I got the internship through a contact I made as an NCAS student (NASA Community College Aerospace Scholar).
Last semester at Pacific, I started working with Professor Hetrick and Professor Hutter building a radio telescope on the roof of the physics building. This definitely made my resume stand out.
What I’ve learned through this experience
My favorite part of this internship is learning from the most brilliant people on the planet. The first half of my internship was in person at the NASA facility, so it was really exciting to meet some of the minds behind the amazing things NASA has been doing.
Technically speaking, I’ve learned about chemical processes in atmospheres of planets in our solar system, radio astronomy, spectroscopy, how to analyze spectral frequencies, and a few useful programming techniques. And I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.
My advice for future interns
Network! Meet as many people as you can. More often than not people are happy to share about what they are working on, and new working relationships are worth stepping out of your comfort zone for a moment.
And no matter the hardship, no matter the mistakes, no matter what, never give up hope!
Want to learn more about what Pacific students are up to this summer? Keep an eye on People of Pacific this summer for more internship diaries!