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NASA Internship for Our Jamaican Girl

NASA Internship for Our Jamaican Girl

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Each year the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) offers a limited number of internship opportunities to students. Included are high school students residing within a 50-mile radius of the NASA GISS location in New York.

Jamaicans have a history of making history. Jamaicans have a history of being at the top of their field globally. And, might I add, at the top in seemingly some unique fields.

Rynola Fraser, a 16-year old Jamaican, will participate in the illustrious 2021 Summer internship NASA project. Commencing in July, the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) team will host her six-week internship.

A Track Record of Success

Rynola, a former student of Glenmuir High School in May Pen, migrated to the United States in 2014. By the same token, she is an honour student at Martin Van Buren High School (MVB) in New York. This year, about 4,000 people applied for the internship. Rynola made the list of successful applicants for one of the four available spots. Furthermore, she is the first black female student from MVB to receive this prominent NASA internship.

Rynola is no stranger to starting initiatives. In the same way, she started an environmental club at Glenmuir High School. Rynola desired to develop an awareness among her peers on the impact of everyday activities on the environment. She possesses an attitude of always striving for excellence. This is something that she credits to the years attending Hope Basic School, where she learned its motto, ‘Ever Striving For Excellence.” Today, she still lives by it.

Consequently, this underlying principle, coupled with academic excellence, prompted her STEM teacher’s encouragement to apply for the NASA internship.

Rynola Fraser
Image found on Smile Jamaica Twitter page

Internship and the Future

Moreover, the NASA CCRI research team will assign a mentor to Rynola and her team. The team will complete the research project, deliver a presentation, and create a scientific poster. Additionally, they will present it at the NASA GISS and other regional science conferences and symposiums.

Rynola’s career plan has been to pursue the Criminal Law profession. As a result, she initially did not believe that the internship on Climate Change was the right fit for her. However, she admits to having a love for doing research work and also chemistry. Our team believes that not even the sky should limit Rynola.

Relatedly, her teacher at Martin Van Buren High School says, “I was thinking this girl is going to make an impact, but she needs an opportunity to make an impact on society,”

Rynola has been provided with an esteemed opportunity. She has shone a light on the potential of students in Jamaica. Our team at Good News Jamaica believe that she will continue to impact her communities, both at home and abroad, positively.

Due to Rynola’s successful action against the odds, today, talented young Jamaican students are motivated by her accomplishment.

PHOTO FOR FEATURED IMAGE BY: Naesha Rose

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