Culture

How to Become a Rocket Scientist

For would-be scientists and engineers underrepresented in those fields, interning at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is often a key first step.
JPL's Jennifer Trosper with a model of the Curiosity rover at a press conference in 2012Fred Prouser/Reuters

CJ Giovingo’s path to becoming a flight system verification and validation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) wasn’t a straight line.

Giovingo studied astrophysics in college but didn’t complete a degree. Instead, they got into political organizing, working with groups that focused on environmental rights, LGBT issues, and unions. Then they left organizing and installed solar panels in North Carolina.