Sergio Sandoval might appear to be living on the moon, but the 23 year old Mexican-American has his feet firmly planted on the ground. Fulfilling his dreams has been a journey full of difficulties and hard work, but Sandoval is now seeing the fruits of his labor, through his work at the control center of NASA’s International Space Station.
It is a life-long goal that Sandoval did not necessarily expect to accomplish so early in his career.
“Dreams are the most important thing a person can have. You have to keep the faith; it’s a hard and heavy road, but you can do it if you put the effort into it,” he explained.
Sandoval’s story is one marked by obstacles and perseverance, including a two-year period where he crossed the Mexico-United States border every day, in order to pursue an education.
After graduating high school, Sandoval began asking himself what he wanted to do with his life, and he discovered that his passion was aerospace engineering. It would require Sandoval to go to the United States, but his financial circumstances would now allow him to move here full time.
He began thinking of ways to attend San Diego College, the closest university offering his particular field of study.
After eventually receiving a scholarship for his grades, Sandoval began waking up at 3 in the morning in order to reach the border, wait in long lines and finally arrive at the college by 7 a.m. His journey lasted two years and was worth the effort, culminating in a Provost scholarship from Georgia Tech. Sandoval was the first to be awarded this distinction, as it is normally only given to high school students.
“I didn’t have anywhere to stay or live, and I decided to cross the border every day in order to go and study in the United States,” he said.
For Sandoval, it was a big accomplishment to attend a prestigious university – with a scholarship to boot – and he felt proud to represent the Hispanic community.
At Georgia Tech, Sandoval began working on a project to build the first satellite that the university will send to space. His hard work made him stand out, and NASA came calling with a job offer at the command center of the International Space Station. Sandoval now works there on a mission that involves studying the moons of Jupiter.
“I always took being Hispanic as a point of pride, because it was something that motivated me to work that much harder,” said Sandoval.
About the Author
