The STEM Scholars program successfully launched as scheduled in September with 19 STEM Scholars taking an Engineering Essentials course and working closely with our STEM faculty to discover the giftings and passion for what God would have for them beyond high school. As part of the program, professionals from STEM fields are being asked to come speak to our students. To launch the speaker series, principal McKay invited TCS alumnus, Gabriel Morocoima (‘05).
“As Gabe himself was preparing to help launch Artemis 1 and the Orion space capsule , he was the perfect fit to kick-off our speaker series,” said Miss McKay.
At a special dinner on October 26, Gabe shared his story with our 19 STEM scholars and their parents of how God removed obstacles to allow him to become an engineer that works in mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.
The STEM Scholar speaker series didn’t just impact the STEM scholars. The following day, students at every grade level, elementary through high school, had a chance to hear from a Christian professional in a STEM career. Gabe shared with students that the goal of the Artemis project is not only to return astronauts to the moon but also to construct a facility that could sustain life on the moon. He explained the details of the space flight and about how God is using him at NASA to influence others with the Gospel. The youngest students asked questions about the astronaut’s space suit and how high they could jump on the moon while the older students inquired about astronaut training and the recommended educational pathway to be able to work at NASA.
When Gabe came to TCS, Artemis 1 was still on the ground with an anticipated launch date of November 14. While weather did not cooperate on Nov. 14, Artemis 1 did successfully lift off on November 16. With great excitement, Gabe shared, “Immediately following a successful launch, our shift came on and executed TLI (trans lunar injection) burn and the subsequent correction burn. We are on our way to the moon!” The Orion spacecraft will travel a total of 1.3 million miles on its mission with splashdown scheduled for December 11, 2022.
We are thankful for Gabe Morocoima in NASA who is helping to uncover the mysteries of God’s vast universe which allows us to marvel and give glory to our magnificent Creator!
Our STEM Scholars are already looking forward to who will come to speak next!
