Aaron Yazzie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aaron Yazzie
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Aaron Yazzie in 2019
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| Born | 1986 (age 38–39) Tuba City, Arizona
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| Education | Stanford University |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mechanical engineering |
| Employer(s) | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Projects | Mars Science Laboratory InSight Mars 2020 |
Aaron Yazzie, born in 1986, is a super cool engineer who works for NASA! He's a member of the Diné (also known as the Navajo) people. Aaron works at a special place called the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL. His job is to design tools that collect samples from other planets, like Mars. He has helped with important missions such as the Mars Science Laboratory, InSight, and Mars 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Aaron was born in 1986 in Tuba City, Arizona. This area is part of the Navajo Nation. He grew up in Holbrook, Arizona. His family is very important to him. His dad was an engineer, and his mom was a math teacher. They both encouraged him to study hard. Aaron belongs to the Ashįįhí (Salt Clan) and Todích'íi'nii (Bitter Water Clan) of the Navajo people.
Studying at Stanford University
Aaron first thought about going to a public university in Arizona. But then he met an admissions counselor. This person was at a summer program for Native Americans. After that meeting, Aaron decided to apply to Stanford University.
While he was a student at Stanford, Aaron got to work at two different NASA centers. He interned at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He also worked at the Glenn Research Center. These experiences helped him learn a lot about space and engineering. In 2008, Aaron finished his studies at Stanford. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
Working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Aaron Yazzie started working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 2008. JPL is a big part of NASA. At JPL, Aaron is a mechanical engineer. His main job is to work on tools that collect samples from other planets. He also helps figure out how to handle these samples safely.
Missions to Mars
Aaron has worked on several exciting missions to Mars. He helped with the Mars Science Laboratory mission. He also contributed to the InSight mission. More recently, he worked on the Mars 2020 mission. These missions help us learn more about the Red Planet.
Connecting with Native American Students
Since joining JPL, Aaron has been very active in helping other Native Americans. He works to encourage them to join NASA. He wants more Native American students to become engineers and scientists. Aaron has shared that the surface of Mars reminds him of the land near his hometown of Tuba City.
Personal Life and Community Work
Aaron's parents were the first in their families to go to college. He says they taught him how important education is. He also believes his Navajo upbringing gave him a strong work ethic. This helped him succeed in his career.
Aaron is very involved in helping Native students. He has a long history with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). He received a scholarship from AISES when he was in college. He was also the president of the Stanford chapter of AISES. After graduating, he became a lifetime member of AISES. Aaron was even featured in a book called Notable Native People.
Today, Aaron Yazzie lives in Pasadena, California.
