Alessandro Moya, a senior at TMI Episcopal, completed a summer internship at Southwest Research Institute. Along with 20 other San Antonio-area high-school students, he participated in the Institute’s Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) program. The 13-day intensive mentoring program is hosted on the Institute’s campus, where scientists from a wide range of technical fields speak to the students and provide tours of the facilities.

Students learn basic electronics and soldering and build their own variable voltage power supply. They also experiment with hand-held spectrometers, learn to visualize the data and develop a website. On the last day of the program, each student gives a presentation on their project. Moya concluded with a presentation on his project, which focused on automotive engineering and the necessity of V8 engines.  

At TMI, he is senior class treasurer, is a member of the school’s chapters of the National Honor Society and Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society) and earned TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) district honors last year in soccer.

To participate in the YES program, students must go through a rigorous application process. Finalists are interviewed, and the top 21 students are selected.

Since 1993, the YES program has encouraged talented high-school students to pursue science and engineering studies by expanding career awareness and by giving participants an opportunity to interact with role models among Southwest Research Institute staff.  For details, visit yes.space.swri.edu.