Salinas, Calif. – Hartnell College Foundation K-12 STEAM programs celebrates the culmination of another successful NASA MAA (Murep Aerospace Academy) summer program this Friday, July 18, at 11:30 a.m. with a Symposium and Poster Session at Hartnell’s Student Center located at 411 Central Avenue, Salinas.

The summer, the program started with more than 170 high school students who aimed to participate in the program over the course of six sessions held each week on Fridays, of interactive lessons and hands-on activities focused on acoustic damping in aerospace engineering. Students met at the Hartnell Alisal Campus daily with one cohort of 14 youth in King City.

“It has been my absolute pleasure to be part of this initiative over the past three years—a collaboration that truly reflects the shared mission of the Hartnell College Foundation, Hartnell College, and NASA,” said Ana Ibarra, director of K-12 STEAM program at Hartnell College Foundation. “Engaging students through meaningful projects and field trips has been a deeply rewarding experience.” 

Over the course of three years, students have engaged in topics of hydrology, lunar rovers, and acoustic damping. They have also engaged in field trips to Elkhorn Slough, Monterey One Water, Farm NG, Joby Aviation, and the WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca.

Hartnell College was one of only nine academic institutions selected to receive the NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy grant, and one of just two community colleges chosen nationwide. Thanks to the NASA award and the support of Chevron, Hartnell College has played a pivotal role in expanding youth exposure to STEM careers. This grant has funded the summer program for high school students since 2023. However, Hartnell’s partnership with NASA dates back to 2011, when it first received a NASA MAA award aimed at engaging 300 elementary students in aerospace careers. Over the years, this initiative has grown to impact thousands of students and continues to make a lasting difference.

PROVEN IMPACT TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION

This year, two student Lead Technicians participated in the coordination of NASA MAA. They participated in NASA MAA in the past and share their story of how they were inspired and how they are now leading the way for other youth:

Celeste Romero was set to major in education and later switched majors to psychology while at Hartnell. But her new job supporting the NASA MAA students one summer gave her a different perspective and her love for software engineering was born. Now, her passion is leading to AI development, thus will get her certification in Information Technology.

For Michael Oliver, an introduction to the TRiO program at Hartnell led him to NASA MAA during his junior year in high school. He enjoyed the program for two years in a row and his love for space, planets, and hydrology led him to his passion. Through networking, he found himself as Lead Technician this summer, teaching others about NASA MAA and the opportunities STEM brings.

Michael Oliver, 18

UC Berkeley, Astrophysics Major Rancho San Juan High School, 2024

Lead Technician at NASA MAA Hartnell 2025

“If it wasn’t for programs like this, I would not be where I am today,” said Oliver. “As a lead now, I can show other students what NASA MAA is and where it can take them.”

Celeste Romero, 20

University of Phoenix, Software Engineering Major

Gonzales High School, 2023

Lead Technician at NASA MAA Hartnell 2025

“I love it and it’s fun,” said Romero. “At first it can be intimidating but once you start playing with things you start to learn how everything works – that’s how it happened with me.”

In the next five years, NASA anticipates needing one million workers to fulfill different projects and missions. With NASA MAA, the goal is to discover in youth talents they did not know existed in them and with or without a college degree, provide opportunities for hands-on control over the future.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about the continued opportunities NASA will provide as it works to develop its workforce,” said Ibarra. “I am incredibly grateful to all of our partners, instructors, and especially to our main sponsor, Chevron, for making this possible.” 

For more information about the K-12 STEAM Program, contact Ana Ibarra at aibarra@hartnellcollegefoundation.org

ABOUT HARTNELL COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Hartnell College Foundation was established in 1979 by a committed group of community volunteers to support Hartnell College with its philanthropic work, support for scholarships, innovative programs, state-of-the-art facilities, public-private partnerships, and bond campaigns to support the educational success and workforce training of the citizenry of the Salinas Valley. For more information, visit https://hartnellfoundation.org.