NASA Sponsors Dublin High Junior Andrew Song for INSPIRE Collegiate Experience

Andrew Song with Mammoth Femur

Dublin High School junior Andrew Song’s story of summer enrichment is an inspiration for aspiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics students.  Andrew’s father, David Song, recommended Andrew participate in NASA‘s online learning community for high school students – INSPIRE (short for Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience).  Active participation in NASA INSPIRE’s online learning community, plus excellent grades at Dublin High School and teacher recommendations, led to Andrew’s acceptance into the NASA INSPIRE Collegiate Experience program this summer.  Andrew credits Dublin High science teacher Kim Baumann (his AP Chemistry teacher) in particular for furthering his interest in science.  The goal of the NASA INSPIRE Collegiate Experience program is to motivate students to pursue higher education and/or careers in STEM fields.

Students from across the country compete for acceptance into the NASA INSPIRE Collegiate Experience program, which is fully funded by NASA and the sponsoring University (airframe, lodging, meals, supervision and all educational activities).  Andrew joined 19 other students at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (one of only four students from California) for the two-week program which included attending lectures led by university professors, participating in projects with university students and going on several field trips (including a visit to a mammoth boneyard in South Dakota).  At the end of the program students are required to present to university students and faculty.

Andrew’s family moved to Dublin from Pleasanton when Andrew was entering 5th Grade.  Andrew started his education in Pleasanton at Mohr Elementary School and then attended Dougherty Elementary School and Fallon Middle School before becoming a Dublin Gael at Dublin High School.  In his junior year at Dublin High Andrew is taking five Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and hopes to pursue his interest in science and technology at Stanford or MIT.  Outside of school, Andrew is an accomplished cello player and founded the Tri-Valley Cantabile with high school students from Dublin and Pleasanton.  Tri-Valley Cantabile performs concerts locally and donates all proceeds to local charities.  Andrew is also the webmaster of the group’s website.

 The NASA INSPIRE program doesn’t end with the Collegiate Experience – students also have the opportunity for 6-week paid interships at NASA facilities across the country (including the NASA Ames facility in Mountain View, California).  Congratulations Andrew on your academic and community service achievements and for taking a few moments to share your experiences with the community.

NASA INSPIRE Group Activity