Reaching For the Stars: Jason’s Story

Jason fell in love with space at 5 years old. Images pulsing with neon nebulas and supernovas sparked his passion for math and science. But before mastering those skills, he’d have to navigate a constellation of foster care placements, including a new school every year.  

Placed with a foster mom who wouldn’t let him in the house until she came home from work – around 7pm – Jason had 4 hours to fill after school every day. He joined the Robotics Team. He began winning competitions at the state level. Later, when he was moved to a new school without a robotics team, he helped create one. Eventually, he landed at SDSU as an aerospace engineering major.  

Jason joined College Bound, looking for connection and guidance. He was paired with a coach with a background in cloud engineering. They clicked instantly.  

“John is someone I can rely on and ask questions to. We see each other almost weekly. He even took me to the Kennedy Space Station in Florida. He has influenced me to the sky!”  

After 5 years living on campus and 1 month before graduation, Jason realized he had a problem. He was borderline homeless. Desperate, he contemplated taking a second job while trying to complete his master’s degree.  

College Bound stepped in to help with ongoing rent assistance. He also received a Master Your Dream scholarship to help pay tuition.  

Today, Jason is a grad student working on a thesis to design a housing of motors that will control the attitude and fine pointing of satellites to help complete future missions.