Two West Virginia Wesleyan College students have been named NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Ambassadors, serving as a link between the WVSGC and the community.
Sonya Carper ’28, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, a dual physics and engineering major, and Dakota Carpenter ‘28, a triple major in mathematics, physics and engineering from Birch River, West Virginia, are building their future paths through their programs here at WVWC and with the WVSGC.
Carper said, “The work I have completed for NASA WV and Space Club with Dr. Tracey Delaney has led me to aerospace engineering. Being able to help build payloads that will be launched from Andoya Space Center in Norway, is, I hope
the beginning of many things. I was afforded a nice scholarship, as well as free travel to events nationwide, and I will never walk away from an opportunity to share my love of all things STEM.”
Carpenter said, “As a freshman, I was unaware of many of the opportunities available to me. After joining West Virginia Wesleyan’s Space Club, Dr. Delaney reached out to me and other students to offer this opportunity to join the WVSGC as an ambassador. Being an ambassador has helped me learn about new opportunities and show my friends and peers the opportunities available to them in their career paths. Being an ambassador has helped me meet new people and learn about new opportunities with my career. As a triple major in mathematics, physics and engineering I want to become a theoretical physicist and working with people at WVSGC has helped me to meet and connect with people who are aligning with my career path, which has pushed me to work harder in my studies and will help me with finding a job in the future.”
As ambassadors, Carper and Carpenter do not only work with WVWC but with other colleges in the state.
“The ambassador program doesn’t just help at WVWC but at any college that is apart from or working with the WVSGC,” Carpenter said. “At Wesleyan specifically, we have had multiple events with younger children in elementary school age come out and did demonstrations with them on scientific tools and activities to get them excited about college and pursuing a stem field. I personally have worked with people at Wesleyan to help them sign up for WVSGC summer internship programs and paid personal research grants.”
One upcoming event open to the community is also made possible though the WVSGC.
“The Space Club was able to receive funding for Space Day, which is a free event that we will be hosting on March 30, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the auxiliary gym,” Carper said. “Additionally other organizations on campus can also apply for funding for certain events.”
The Space Club will be giving a Faculty Lecture Series on Feb. 27 to talk more about their NASA project. If anyone would like any information, they can reach out via email anytime or I will be doing a presentation for the physics department on the 27th in the dining hall as part of the lecture series.”
This has also brought our program coordinator, Kristina Angeline, to our campus with gifts that were handed out to the student body.
Carpenter added, “All of this is an effort to both increase the amount of people applying for summer internships and research projects, promote stem majors/jobs to the youth, and help people find opportunities they need to pursue the career they desire.”
For Carper and Carpenter, the opportunities through the WVSGC continue to pay off.
Carper added, “I was selected to attend the National Council of Directors Conference in Washington, D.C. later this month and I can’t wait to tell them about “My Home Among the Hills at WVWC.”
