NASA astronaut Frank Rubio meets with talented youth in El Salvador
San Miguel, El Salvador– NASA astronaut Colonel Frank Rubio met with more than 200 young students at the Gerardo Barrios University in San Miguel. In 2017, Rubio made history as the first astronaut of Salvadoran descent selected by NASA, and again in 2022 when he launched on his first spaceflight. After 371 days onboard the International Space Station, he set the U.S. record for the longest consecutive time spent in space.
Rubio encouraged the Salvadoran students to follow their dreams, emphasizing the relevance of focusing on doing their best in whatever they wanted to learn. “Put in the effort so that each day is a triumph, and then 10 or 20 years later you’ll be able to look back and see that you’ve accomplished great things. It’s important to have big goals, but it’s more important to focus on what’s right in front of you and give it your all,” Rubio shared.
Rubio’s visit in El Salvador was organized by the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. This event was held in collaboration with SERVIR, the flagship initiative of NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The event was also presided over by Beth Kuch, Cultural Attaché for the U.S. Embassy; Christopher Cushing, USAID Regional Director for Central America and Mexico Programs; and Dan Irwin, founder and Global Program Manager of SERVIR.
The 200+ student representatives who attended the event are affiliated with Gerardo Barrios University, along with USAID and U.S. State Department programs for talented youth, including Digital Talent, ¡Supérate!; Oportunidades; and Science Girl Camp.
A subset of the students in attendance participated in a two-day Jóvenes Geoespaciales (Geospatial Youth) workshop with SERVIR and the Central American Aerospace Network (RAC). As part of this workshop, students created project ideas for using NASA technology to support climate resilience within their communities. During Rubio’s visit, the Jóvenes Geoespaciales students had the opportunity to present their project ideas, including prototype tools that they developed for tracking wildfires and protecting mangroves.
“The student presentations that I saw were amazing. I hope you continue forward with your work. I’m excited to learn about what you go on to achieve in the future,” said Rubio to the participating students.
Col. Rubio’s visit to Gerardo Barrios University was organized and supported by the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, USAID, NASA, SERVIR Global, Earth Empower, Gerardo Barrios University, and Don Bosco University.
