CLEVELAND — Nasa spent Thursday trying to recruit the next generation of stem students and show them they have a career path with space.
When students think of NASA, they think of engineering, aerospace, and physics, but NASA shows those students that they don't need a 4-year degree to play a part.
Strahinja Dimitrijevic has always loved space. He's a senior at Beachwood High School with hopes of becoming an aerospace engineer, and NASA showed him that's not the only route he can take.
"Yeah, I mean, it's awesome, and it gives me insight into if I really want to do it or not. And I can get some exposure to it," said Dimitrijevic.
During manufacturing day, more than 100 students from across the state learned the importance of building for space.
"We put a block of metal in front of these people, and a drawing of a part and magically they turn it into that part," said John Hamley, NASA associate director for facilities testing manufacturing.
They heard from the experts, toured the facilities, and got hands-on experience creating their own pieces.
"A lot of students find it difficult to envision themselves in manufacturing careers because of college requirements or financial barriers. So, events like this show them that it is possible," said Gavin Custer, NASA's education program specialist.
NASA's goal is to keep students interested in STEM and teach them that multiple career paths at NASA are different and achievable for anyone.
"Everybody's got the potential to do something right, and maybe engineering or whatever may not be in their cards for them, but the manufacturing piece of it is very important and should not be in any way, shape, or form looked at as a secondary kind of thing," said Hamley.
So, students like Strahinja can decide if the space path is for him.
"I don't think it's okay for kids to finish college and then not have any idea what to do this way they have some exposure," said Strahinja.
NASA also offers internships to students from high school through college.
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