16-Year-Old Jamaican Girl Gets Recruited For Nasa Internship
16-year-old Rynola Fraser who grew up in Lionel Town, Jamaica is now the recipient of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration internship to become the “first black and Jamaican woman from the Martin Van Buren High School in New York” to be chosen for the prestigious position.
The internship will last for 6 weeks from July 5 to August 13. According to the story, as originally captured by the Jamaica Observer, she was brought up with a very supportive family who always kept her going with encouragements.
As a student she started at Hope Basic School, where she learned a motto she constantly strives by which states “Ever Striving For Excellence”. She then attended Glenmuir High, later moving to the United States at the age of 14.
Even though she stated that the move was something she had to adjust to, she finally got things together. Being abroad she took her time to build her profile to be ready for the internship however, it was not something she wanted at the time.
Since being in high school in Jamaica she had always wanted to be a lawyer, and that hope continued even when she emigrated. In her Junior year abroad she was placed in a Science Research class, where she did mostly environmental field research.
She was also placed in a club, by the name of “Scholars” that housed the brightest children in the country.
When the time finally came where Rynola would be able to apply for the NASA internship spot she did not want to do It because of her lawyer ambition, however her teacher Ms Wang encouraged her to do it since she is as good at science as she is with Law.
She eventually heeded to Ms Wang and applied to Nasa amongst a total of 4000 people. For her specific position, 1000 applied and Fraser along with 360 other persons were selected.
Fraser expressed how happy she was to the Jamaica Observer, upon receiving the letter from Nasa, telling her of the achievement. Fraser said she immediately called her family upon getting the great news but was met with a sad story that her father, had got into a bus crash on his way home.
Her father is now recouping, in the hospital. Rynola also expressed that she had let her teacher Ms Wang, know about the internship success, but she had already known since she was an intern too.
Her team of Researchers will include 3 others including Ms. wang, Dr Dorothy Deteet and an undergraduate student and they will research the existing “Factors that affect climate change”.
In her success, Rynola Fraser seems to be talking about the walk with God as she explained how involved she is with her scriptures. In an encouraging note to others, the successful 16 years old sends a word of motivation to others telling them” not to let opportunities pass”.
