Told His Dreams Were Out of Reach, This NASA Enthusiast Reached Higher
Alumnus Roberto Saenz, ’20, has a lofty vision for his future. “My ultimate career goal is to be the first Hispanic NASA Administrator,” he said. This is the highest executive position at NASA, and the person who holds it reports directly to the President of the United States. If this sounds like an impossible dream, Roberto might say that he’s already witnessed what others called his impossible dreams become achievable realities in his life.
When Roberto was a young boy, he loved watching the Discovery Channel with his uncle, especially programs about space exploration. But over the years, when he became serious about wanting to work at NASA one day, the adults in his life were not encouraging.
“They told me that kind of future was out of reach for people like us,” said Roberto, who grew up in an Hispanic immigrant family living in an urban neighborhood. “They said it would cost too much and be impossible.” He did not let that deter him.
In January 2020, Roberto earned his associate’s degree in engineering science from PCCC. In just a few weeks, he will receive his bachelor’s degree, also in engineering science, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). After graduation, Roberto heads out west to begin a job already promised to him by a leading aerospace and technology firm, the launch of a career journey that Roberto hopes will someday land him at NASA.
It was a teacher at Union City High School who noticed Roberto’s passion for NASA and suggested he connect with PCCC. A visit with then STEM advisor Carlomagno Ontaneda introduced Roberto to all the NASA opportunities offered at the College. “I knew this was the place for me,” he said.
Roberto gives a presentation to fellow interns at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Roberto thrived at PCCC, especially in the STEM program where he received the amazing opportunity to intern at NASA. He was chosen for the team that became known as the “NASA 9,” a group of nine PCCC students selected for a 10-week, paid summer internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. There, they gained hands-on experience through actual projects related to avionics technology, working alongside NASA experts and on teams with other STEM students from across the country.
“That was such an incredible experience, I can hardly believe it happened.” recalled Roberto. Working on Spacecraft Configuration Analysis and Documentation, he had the opportunity to collaborate with other interns “who shared my passion for space exploration and for advancing current knowledge of the universe.”
Inspired by being among “some of the smartest people I ever met,” Roberto singled out, Dr. Gerd Fischer, a NASA engineer and mentor, as his role model. “He made me realize the type of person that I wanted to be…a knowledgeable, level-headed person who can quickly think on their feet, and be depended on with whatever given task.”
Roberto’s ideas about the ultimate career he wanted and the type of person he wanted to be in that career were shaped further last year when he, along with other PCCC alumni, participated in another elite summer opportunity: the NJ Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program, an eight-week program offering internships and professional workplace skills training for high-achieving students who have an interest in diversity and inclusion. Roberto interned at the New Jersey Office for Faith-Based Initiatives. “It was an excellent opportunity to experience the reality of working in a professional office every day,” he said.
At NJIT, Roberto joined the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) there and serves as the organization’s 2023-2024 president. This wholistic pairing of academic pursuits with service endeavors, especially those focused on diversity, clarified for Roberto his life’s direction. Being the first Hispanic NASA administrator is a grand ambition, but for Roberto the ambition is fueled by his appreciation and altruism.
“I want other immigrant students who think that a future at NASA is out of their reach to know that it’s not,” said Roberto. “I want to open doors for them, the way so many others opened doors for me, especially at PCCC. Coming to PCCC changed my life.”
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