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Scott Kesseler interned at SpaceX

From Scott Kesseler, SpaceX Intern and former SystemsGo student at Brazoswood ISD:

This past fall I had the opportunity to work as a Starship Launch Intern at SpaceX down in Boca Chica, TX. I spent most of my internship leading the build and activation of four cryogenic methane storage tanks for Starship’s orbital launch. I coordinated with welders, technicians, and other engineers to get the tanks operational in a short period of time. I learned more than I possibly could have imagined about cryogenic fluids, piping, tubing, valves, and instrumentation. Every engineer I met was incredible. I really gained an understanding of how no engineer thinks the same and why a team of engineers with different mindsets is important.

This internship has made me a lot more excited about my classwork because now I’m able to understand how I will use it on the job after I graduate. I’m excited to go back to SpaceX next summer after taking even more chemical engineering classes.

I really attribute my success at SpaceX to my experience in the Goddard Rocketry Program. It was then that I first started learning technical skills and real world applications that enabled me to jump right into action at SpaceX. Brazoswood’s Goddard Program gives high school students an experience unlike any other, and I’m incredibly thankful for how much it has helped me since graduation.

Chris McLeod, Instructor

From Scott’s current teacher, Chris McLeod, Rocket Engineering, Brazoswood ISD (Dale Hobbs was Scott’s teacher in 2019):

Scott is one of our former Brazoswood students, now at A&M. He spent last semester interning at SpaceX. He was on the Goddard 2019 team under Mr. Hobbs. This was a short write up he sent me, attributing much of his success to the Goddard program. One piece he left out – He was called the first week of school after applying, and did an instant phone interview with a SpaceX recruiter. At the end of the phone call, he was asked “Can you have a presentation ready in three hours for a zoom meeting?” He quickly put together slides about his Goddard experience (he did much of the fuel work in 2019), interviewed with a panel, and landed the internship!

Side note, this year we had our first annual “Goddard reunion Christmas party”, where all former/current students can come visit, network, and eat. We had about 50 students show up, representing every year since 2018 when we started the Goddard program here. It was pretty fun!