Disponible en: Español

Published On: May 27th, 2022By

Alumni Success Story: 2016 Alumnus, Iván Delgado, Achieves Dream With NASA

Disponible en: Español

Delgado’s work focuses on the foundations of mission success.


Iván’s Journey to NASA — Showing He Has the Right Stuff

A career at NASA was a dream that started at Carver High School for alumnus Iván Delgado. Before entering his senior year at the magnet school for technology, engineering, and the arts, Iván had completed the space agency’s free Summer High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) Program (Students have to complete all the assigned work with the top students being selected.). Iván said he knew that he wanted to be a part of NASA’s future as soon as he stepped onto the JSC.

Carver-HS-Student-Ivan-Delgado-on-HAS-Brochure-1

Iván on the cover of the HAS program brochure

Upon finishing the high school program, he searched NASA’s One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI) website. Iván was looking for college scholarships when he stumbled upon an opportunity. Iván applied and got accepted into a year-long internship at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Among the college juniors, seniors, and Ph.D. participants, Iván was the only high school student in the yearlong program. That meant he would be traveling Monday through Friday between attending school at Carver and headed to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to work as an intern.

Iván worked in the Computer Safety Working Group, where he created a data retrieval application written in the Python programming language. The program uses a specific coding language that Iván had no prior experience with. Still, he was up for the challenge. He taught himself the new coding language to efficiently operate the program, which compiles data that NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance officials use to identify safety concerns for upcoming flights, missions, software transitions, and final safety reviews.

Iván got to experience some “cool things like boarding the International Space Station (ISS)” using virtual reality — it is what astronauts use to prepare for missions and spacewalks. Yet, it was the daily interactions that inspired and motivated him. He knew that NASA was where he was meant to be.

Iván received news he would continue to work at Johnson after being accepted as a full-time Avionics and Software intern in the International Space Station division.

As the first-gen student was about to leave for college, NASA honored Iván for his efforts at the space agency. The award recognized his diligence and quick thinking in dealing with a circumstance that could have represented a significant threat onsite at Johnson Space Center. Dr. Stephen Mackwell presented Iván with the award. Mackwell was USRA’s Director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, from 2002 until 2016. From 2016 until 2019, Mackwell was the Corporate Director, Science Programs at USRA Headquarters in Columbia, MD. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth Science at Rice University.

Postsecondary Experience

Iván, a Magna Cum Laude high school grad, attended Texas A&M University’s Engineering Honors Program, where he received his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. He received his master’s degree in software engineering from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. As a student at Texas A&M, he was featured in The Atlantic in an article about how the right kinds of support set first-generation or Gen-F students for a lifetime of success so that they can blaze the trail for others back home.

Iván is Grateful to Aldine ISD

Ivan-Delgado-at-NASA-JSC-Gets-Award-1

Iván Delgado poses with Dr. Stephen Mackwell.

Iván credits Aldine ISD for preparing him for college and his career. He is grateful to the staff at Carver HS, like teacher Samita Debnath, for preparing and giving him an advantage. Iván began taking engineering courses at the Choice School during his first year of high school.

The engineering program at Carver uses Project Lead the Way curriculum. The program teaches key elements of STEM-based careers (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.) using a curriculum comprised of a series of STEM project-based activities.

Iván acknowledges the skills he gained in math, science, and English classes. He also praises the business information management course he took. He learned MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, which are skills he uses every day in his work. According to Iván, these tools are so simple yet so important.

“I think many students don’t take this seriously enough or underestimate Carver HS’s training opportunities. I use them to present my findings, write technical papers, and more,” said Iván.

Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity

“Through the entire NASA Johnson Space Center experience, I found my passion,” said Iván. “Since the first moment I stepped onto the JSC, I knew that I wanted to work at NASA. The more I learned about the space program, the more I realized that I wanted to be a part of NASA’s future. My mentors, family, and friends provided abundant resources and technical support. They and my co-workers became good friends to me. Every opportunity has increased my confidence in pursuing a career in STEM.

“To this day, I still have the same mentors helping me navigate through my career. I don’t know how to stress the importance of this. Pretty much why I want to host in-person sessions or something similar.”

Keeping an Open Mind and Avoiding Tunnel Vision

“Before all of my experiences, I felt limited to only a particular field of work. That is no longer the case. I now know that I can adapt and overcome any challenge in the future.”

The Importance of a Strong Support System

Iván gives his parents credit for always being there. Since he was a kid, they made sure he finished his homework and attended awards events. He stressed that having the right support system is a significant factor in doing well in school, work, and life.

Paying It Forward by Looking to Help Aldine ISD Students

Iván hasn’t lost touch with the Aldine community. He and friend Noe Hernández, a math teacher at Aldine High School, are discussing setting up after-school programs to guide students. They will focus on professional development such as navigating career fairs in college, getting the right experience to land interviews, and gaining insight into technical careers.

“I want to let them know that anything is possible,” says Iván. “I hear that the current superintendent uses the phrase ‘multiply hope,’ That is a great way of expressing what I want to do for students with a dream to go to college and pursue a STEM field.”

What’s Next?

Since graduating from college, Iván has been learning Russian. He says he has an elementary proficiency but is constantly working on it. He also received the NASA Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division Mountainside Award for outstanding work leading to the completion and demonstration of the Gateway Data Services Initial Production Rollout. The critical software will fly on Gateway, ​​a new space station that will orbit the moon and put humans back on the moon for the first time since the 1970s. Now, Ivan has more responsibility. He reviews and assesses system designs from developmental stages through real-time operations. He ensures spacecraft such as those from SpaceX, are safe and don’t pose a threat to the astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS).

Iván still looks forward to exploring the final frontier.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivandelgado97

About the Author: Leticia Fehling

Director of Internal Communications