Mauricio Gonzalez...

On the field at Minute Maid Park before the Home Run Derby.

I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole? Let me tell you why you’re here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something going on in the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Of course you do! You are here because you want to discover the world of co-oping. And no, you don’t have to take any pills. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mauricio Gonzalez and I am a junior in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. I am from a region in south Texas called the Rio Grande Valley, specifically from Brownsville. I am currently wrapping up my second tour here at JSC. I bet you have some big questions in your mind. It's the questions that drive us mad. It's the questions that brought you here. You know the questions just as I did.

How do you become a co-op?

Fred Haise, astronaut on Apollo 13.

There isn’t one single way to become a co-op, but the path you take mostly depends on your school’s co-op program. Purdue’s co-op program tends to be very well structured and has a lot of rules. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken. But in general, the first thing you need to worry about is getting an interview with Mr. Robert Musgrove, otherwise known as the Oracle.

Interviewing can be one of the most intimidating things you’ll ever do. There are many things you can say during an interview. What you say is what will determine your success. Try not to think of it in terms of right and wrong. Just express you’re excitement for working at NASA and make emphasis on the things that distinguish you from everybody else. Everyone is capable of doing good interviews. Remember, don’t think you are, know you are.

What does a co-op do?

A singular consciousness spawned an entire race of co-ops. Co-ops have existed since the creation of NASA itself. Co-ops work and interact with the people that make it all happen at NASA. You will be given real work assignments all related to you field of study. You will get the chance to tour practically all the awesome facilities at JSC and attend lectures by astronauts, flight directors and controllers from as far back as the Apollo era.

My first tour I worked in the structural engineering division, where I performed work on a project aimed at detecting damage on structures on the shuttle. The project relied heavily on structural dynamics and mechanical analysis, and on a mathematical concept called "Ritz Vectors". This project could one day revolutionize the way aircraft and spacecraft is repaired, and maybe even cars and buildings. I also worked on the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), which, when finally installed on the shuttle, will be used to inspect the integrity of the shuttle prior to landing.

In my current tour, I have been working for the exploration office, which deals with all the advanced planning for Lunar and Mars mission. I have been working on a robotic Mars drill which is currently being developed. This project has involved a lot of hands on work since the prototype drill has already been manufactured, and preparations are underway for field testing in the Arctic at the end of this summer. Among the many constraints the drill faces is that it has to be able to operate at a low voltage, which makes it slow.

Volunteer activities are also plentiful. I recently got to volunteer for the MLB All-Star Game which took place in Houston this summer. About 60 NASA employees, including myself, got to carry a huge flag onto the baseball field for the national anthem prior to the home run derby before a completely full stadium. How cool is that?

What do co-ops do outside work?

High School Aerospace Scholars is an excellent volunteer opportunity.

Everything you can imagine. From nightclubs to shopping malls to theme parks to professional sport teams, it’s all in Houston. Co-op parties and road trips are frequent. No matter what your hobbies are, there is something here for everyone. And remember, after work you don’t have to worry about homework or exams, you got the whole afternoon to do whatever you want.

I hope I have answered your questions, and if I haven’t, then I can only tell you one thing. The answers are out there. They’re looking for you. And they will find you, if you want them to. I don't know the future. I am not here to tell you how this is going to end. I am here to tell

you how it's going to begin. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. Who knows, you just might be the One.

If the answers just don’t find you then just shoot me an e-mail at gonzale5@purdue.edu.

* If a good part of this bio makes absolutely no sense to you, then I am sorry to tell you that you have been missing one of the best films in recent years, namely “The Matrix”.