Recent Graduates Launch Their Futures with NASA Internships
Ever wondered what it would be like to work at NASA?
Toddi Sinclair and Samantha Child don’t have to wonder.
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Sinclair, who recently earned her bachelor’s degree in information systems from SDSU’s Fowler College of Business started her third internship with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on May 27.
She applied for her first NASA internship in 2023 by chance and through a bit of luck.
“I was on a mission to get a California-based summer internship and I was sending out numerous applications through USAJobs.gov,” said Sinclair. “I scrolled through the listings and just happened to see one for NASA’s Pathways Internship Program. It seemed like it would be a long shot, but I applied anyway and moved on to the next listing.”
Turns out, the internship Sinclair applied for was not in California, not during the summer and not such a long shot after all.
Complete Surprise
“I was pleasantly shocked to be contacted, and I successfully went through the interview process. But I didn’t know the internship would be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston during the 2024 spring semester,” said Sinclair, who hurriedly transitioned her classes to an online schedule as she prepared to move to Texas for a few months. “I didn’t realize any of that until I received the offer letter and I was completely surprised. It ended up being one of the best surprises of my life.”
Now in her third internship with NASA, Sinclair’s current internship focuses on community outreach as she works inside the office of the agency’s chief information officer. “I now get to help manage how the office shares updates, resources and initiatives inside NASA,” reported Sinclair. “Every day at NASA is different and I’m constantly learning and inspired by the innovation happening around me. It’s been a truly transformative experience.”
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Lavin Entrepreneurship Center Paves the Way
Like Sinclair, Samantha Child also went through the internship interview process with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, however, her route to her internship was entirely different.
A budding entrepreneur, Child became familiar with NASA’s internship program through the MUREP Innovation and Technology Transfer Idea Challenge (MITTIC) which she learned about through her affiliation with SDSU’s Lavin Entrepreneurship Center.
“The focus of the competition is to create a patent-worthy innovation for NASA, and I collaborated with four other students to develop an efficient method that uses UV-C light and heat sensor technologies to disinfect keyboards in high-risk areas of hospitals that are prone to infections,” said Child, who earned a degree in management/entrepreneurship in May 2025. “There are internships specifically for students who participate in the MITTIC Challenge and I — along with many other competitors — submitted an application.”
Two Openings, 560,000 Applications
During the interview process, Child said that she was told there were 560,000 applications and two openings for her position as a space knowledge capture intern which begins on July 1, 2025.
“I think that competing in the MITTIC Competition helped me to stand out, plus putting in a lot of work in my other extracurricular activities helped set me up for success,” Child said of her NASA interview experience. “Once I start, my responsibilities will include assisting the team that prepares astronauts’ spacesuits for presentations and, possibly, helping with the center’s TED Talks.”
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