During a visit to the San Gabriel Provincial Education Foundation in Barranquilla, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Tito Cristian Borrero, held a private meeting with Juana Valentina Estrada Diaz, a 13-year-old student selected to meet Pot.
The visit was made to the young woman from Barranquilla, in the institution where she is in the ninth grade of high school, between pleasant conversations with her teachers, colleagues, her family and a visit to the school lab, as support from the national government for the students’ talents, achievements and dreams.
Joanna Valentina is one of 35 girls and young women selected to fly in August to Houston, Texas, for an immersion experience at NASA’s Space Center, After being selected by the She Is Foundation, through the “She is an Astronaut” project.
As the sole representative from Barranquilla and the Atlantic, among the 3,000 students from across the country who took part in the operation, the young woman will travel to NASA with 34 other Colombians.Among them is Rosa Panicita of the National School of Loperina de Valledupar. Other girls and young women from Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic will also benefit from this program during 2022.
“It gives us great pleasure to see Colombian children and youth realize their dreams. More so when those dreams are connected with knowledge and learning. That is why we are in this institution where young people who dream of going far and contribute their talents to society and the world, who are studying for it, are trained, Like Juana Valentina Estrada Díaz, awarded today for her intelligence, passion, and love for science, technology and innovation.. And thanks to the Hays Foundation, you will be able to go to NASA,” the minister said.
Joanna Valentina thanked the Minister for his affection when visiting her school and expressed her happiness with the achievement obtained: “I feel very happy to be able to realize this dream, because for me it is a unique opportunity to be able to go to NASA. I started this process when I was very young, Because I have always been very interested in astronomy and research. It fills me with satisfaction that I will be able to represent all the people who have supported me, who can see that the effort is not wasted, but goes for more. The student said, “I feel very happy because I can live my dream, to act Barranquilla and the Atlantic Ocean.
The young woman is a member of the Seedbed for Research in Space Science (Sice), which she arrived at a year ago after becoming interested in topics such as school gardens, caring for the environment, astronomy and climate change, among others. Today she is one of the most outstanding students in her school, with an average of 9.5.
The research center is headed by Professor Erquinho Taborda, Professor of Physics and Mathematics, Instructor of the International Globe Programme, sponsored by NASA., is one of the 2018 Caracol titans and was the one who accompanied the application process for Juana Valentina. Through this center, two young men from Barranquilla from public schools experienced, in 2019, the knowledge of NASA facilities.
“I was able to notice that Juana Valentina showed an interest in some of the problems she worked on and we invited her to be a part of it. We saw that her love for science grew and that is why we thought that she would apply for it. She fulfilled the requirements and is an outstanding student. We are delighted,” Professor Taborda said. With this achievement, it is our pleasure as a teacher to go along with this process.”
Prior to her trip to NASA, Joanna Valentina will participate in 20 virtual sessions with the She Is Foundation, NASA Space Center in Houston, and allies on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship, robotics, technology and science, etc. The Space Center experience includes activities and tours where you can view more than 400 space artifacts, moon rocks, and more.
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