Matthew Baustert, Herrington Scholar
Electrical Engineering

"My scholarships allowed me to work at NASA."

I’m a senior in electrical engineering.  I’m not one of those smart people, so I’ve worked very hard to maintain my 4.0 GPA.  I have co-oped with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston since the spring of 2005.  I’ve taken off two semesters of school and worked two summers there on amazing projects.

NASA likes co-ops to move around and get a broad view of the agency.  I have worked in the following groups at JSC:

1. Advanced Life Support Air Revitalization Systems Team - This team develops and tests technologies that create oxygen from wasted gasses.

2. Mini-AERCam Team - This team developed a prototype free-flying ball that could fly around the shuttle or station and take pictures.

3. International Space Station Command and Data Handling Group - This is a flight control group that monitors the ISS.

4. Robonaut Team - This group is working on a Robotic Astronaut R&D project

I have wanted to work for NASA since I took a field trip to the Johnson Space Center in the 8th grade.  The Herrington President’s Distinguished Scholarship I received has helped me pay for college while I was chasing my dream. I’m from a small town (pop. 1,000) and I did not have a great ACT score, but the Foundation granted me a scholarship anyway.  I’ve worked very hard in school to try to feel worthy of such a great award.

Scholarships Bring Dreams to Life.  

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