POCATELLO — Two Idaho State University students are aiming for the stars in their respective careers in the field of space exploration.

One of the two students, Angela Garcia, was one of three science officers stationed at the science console at Mission Control during the Artemis Mission back in May, according to a news release from ISU.

Garcia is originally from the Hawaiian island of Oahu. She said in the news release that she has always had a love for the outdoors and that her island home made her curious about the natural world.

“Nature is this grand teacher, and geology is Earth’s storybook, and the rock record is the language,” Garcia said in the news release.

After high school, Garcia originally studied geology at the University of Nevada. As she completed her undergraduate degree, a friend encouraged her to reach out to Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, a geosciences professor at ISU. This friend had worked with Kobs Nawotniak at a five-week field camp at the Lost River Field Station in Mackay.

“I really went to ISU because Shannon’s my girl,” Garcia said in the news release. “She’s so generous with her time, and she really cares about students’ success and is a really great mentor. Shannon really sold ISU.”

During her time at ISU, Garcia worked with Kobs Nawotniak on the Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog, or SUBSEA, project, where she was able to study life in the deep ocean. She also worked on an internship with NASA while studying at ISU. NASA later hired her for a full-time position where her task was to find ways to mitigate problems caused by lunar dust.

“It was a practical kind of application of sciences versus doing research,” Garcia said in the news release. “It was like, ‘Hey, you have knowledge about these materials, now help engineers build hardware that can withstand that natural environment.’”

Garcia plans to stay working with NASA. She said in the news release that she hopes to be part of whatever capacity she is needed in.

“It’s definitely been a whirlwind of work and very humbling,” Garcia said. “I’m super honored that I’m able to be one of the few people who are at that very tip who are building the path for folks to come in and continue.”

The second student is Anna Coulombe, who is originally from Nampa and is now working at SpaceX, where she builds parts of rocket ships. She has had a career in welding for nearly six years. She became interested in welding after being encouraged by a high school teacher to participate in welding competitions.

“If it wasn’t for the ICAT welding program and him, I don’t think I would have found Idaho State welding or gotten to where I stand today,” Coulombe said in the news release.

Coulombe’s career at SpaceX began with a national welding competition through Project MFG. At this competition, she met an instructor from the College of Southern Idaho who later reached out to her about testing for SpaceX. She received a job offer after two interviews and a weld test.

“Watching my goals become reality is something I will never take for granted,” Coulombe said in the news release.

Her current job at SpaceX involves building the mechanical systems that deploy Starlink satellites from the rocket. These are often referred to as Starship’s PEZ dispenser.

Coulombe’s advice to other students in ISU’s welding program is to maintain a teachable mindset and persist during the hardest parts of the training. She said progress isn’t always visible day by day, but the students who learn the fastest are the ones who seek feedback by showing instructors their imperfect welds and learning how to fix them.

“Growth comes from being teachable, and that’s what will continue to set you apart throughout your career,” Coulombe said in the news release.