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University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

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April 7, 2010

Waits chosen as Aerospace Scholar

BATESVILLE – There is nothing easy about growing up and deciding what to do in life. Even harder – deciding to move home, regroup and refocus; however, for one local man that was just the beginning of what was to come.

Jason Waits enrolled in the Doyle “Rog” Rogers, Jr., Aviation Maintenance Program at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville last May. This May, he will be one of 60 community college students who will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to be part of the pilot National Community College Aerospace Scholars Program.

Waits said he began his first college experience at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville after graduating from Batesville High School in 1998.

“I studied mechanical engineering but didn't finish and started working in automotive shops in the Fayetteville area. After a handful of years, I decided I needed to get things together. So three years ago, I moved back in with my parents here in Batesville. I worked for the hospital as a laboratory courier for two years, paid off all my debts and saved up some money.”

He said he found out about the aviation program at UACCB and felt this was perfect for him because it would allow him to enter a technology field. He said he attended the aviation graduation ceremony last spring at the hanger and met with the faculty to learn more about the program.

“I was at a time in my life when I didn't think that going back to school was attainable, that it would be too difficult and too time consuming. I decided to set some goals, and now I've found a renewed interest in furthering my education,” he said. “I believe this really speaks to the value of adult education opportunities like the ones offered at community colleges like UACCB. And I am very grateful to have found this very advanced program right here in my hometown.”

Waits said he learned about the NASA program from Stephen Paull, aviation maintenance director. He said Paull helped him get the necessary paperwork together to apply for the program and he was lucky enough to be one of 250 students selected to be involved in the process. He said the proposal was comprised of three essays and a drawing.

“They basically wanted us to use our imagination and come up with a robotic rover mission to Mars,” he said. “We had to do an abstract of our mission, which included the objectives we would have to complete to be a successful mission. In a roundabout way what kind of equipment we would use and just an overall overview abstract.”

He said students were given two weeks between each project and all projects were submitted electronically. The second project was a little harder to research because it dealt with the budget aspect of the mission. “You are introducing new technologies so it’s hard to put a price on it and determine a timeline,” Waits said. “I was able to look at a lot of resources online to get a basis for where I could start making my estimations. The third part was the full proposal and then I had to submit a drawing of my rover.”

He said he completed his drawing with the use of some computer drawing programs and then he asked if he could submit extra drawings. “I did a few more drawings just to kind of do a little extra. I wanted to make sure I was getting my point across. Each portion was graded and I made a 94 on my abstract, 96 on my budget, a 100 on my proposal and a 100 on my drawing.”

Waits said a week after he tuned in his drawings he received the news that he was chosen to go to Houston.

“I was lucky enough to be one of those chosen,” he said. I will get to meet with the engineers, scientists and astronauts – make some very good networking contacts.”

He said he would like to one day work for NASA or a private firm that deals with NASA as an airframe or powerplant technician. He also hopes to continue to further his education. He will complete the associate of applied science degree in aviation in December and hopes to one day receive his bachelor’s degree in engineering in either mechanical or aerospace.

“If I had completed engineering in Fayetteville, I probably would not have been able to have an opportunity like this,” he said. “It’s been an interesting turn about. When I moved home I was not sure what I was going to do. I did have some plans – commercial flying was one possibility. The pilot market is not doing so great these days so I decided the aviation program would be the better course to take. It’s turning out to be better than I ever expected.”

To qualify for the Aerospace Program, students completed four web-based assignments during the school year, maintaining a 96 average to qualify for the experience.  They will apply what they have learned during the year to work with NASA engineers.

The program is a three-day on-site event at Johnson and offers students from across the nation the opportunity to interact with each other as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. While at Johnson, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each company is responsible for developing a prototype rover, designing a line drawing of the rover and forming the company infrastructure including budget, communications and presentations.

The on-site experience at Johnson includes a tour of facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees – including astronauts.

National Community College Aerospace Scholars is a pilot program based on Texas Aerospace Scholars, originally created by the state of Texas in partnership with NASA and the Texas educational community.  Both programs are designed to encourage community and junior college students to enter careers in science and engineering and ultimately join the nation’s highly technical workforce.

With this program, NASA continues the agency’s investment in educational programs that attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, disciplines critical to NASA’s future missions.

For additional information, please contact Deborah Hutchings, National Community College Aerospace Scholars program manager, at 281-483-8623 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information, please visit

http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/NCAS/.