NASA holds a special place in the public’s imagination. The federal space agency has delivered astronauts to the moon, collected breathtaking images of the cosmos with space telescopes, explored Mars with robotic rovers, and sent satellites into orbit to keep watchful eyes on our own life-supporting planet.
Leah Narat ’24, business technology administration, shares in the awe. She knew that getting an internship at NASA was highly competitive—around 5 percent of those who apply get offered positions—but she didn’t let the high bar dissuade her from trying.
“Honestly, being at NASA was something that I never thought I would achieve, but I put my application out there, and here I am,” says Narat, who worked as a business intelligence intern at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, this summer. “It’s been wonderful.”
During the internship, Narat worked on computer systems that help keep NASA missions safe and its employees engaged. In one project, she created and updated databases to track awards given to NASA employees. The agency will use the information to maximize employees’ recognition and success and guide them toward career paths that best take advantage of their strengths.
“It’s been great to have this real world experience, where I can get my hands dirty and decide: Is this the type of work I want to do?” Narat says. “It’s also great that I can receive upper-level credit hours for the internship.”
In another project, Narat sorted information from meetings during which teams debriefed after they completed projects. She identified insights, recommendations, and lessons learned—valuable information that NASA can use to better manage projects in the future.
“Safety is a big priority for NASA, so they have requirements to make sure that each project is scrutinized and every possible improvement is considered,” Narat says.
Narat says her experience working at NASA helped solidify her interests in data analytics and database management. She credits Handshake, UMBC’s job and internship search platform, with helping her find and apply for the position.
Interns from the Flight Projects Directorate at NASA Goddard, including Narat, tour the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (Images courtesy of Narat)
“The best part of the experience has been meeting people, networking, and making connections,” says Narat. She was also thrilled when the interns got to visit NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, from which the agency launches a variety of space and high-altitude missions.
“I got to actually stand on the launch pad where rockets blast off,” says Narat. “It was just wild.”
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