About Zaida 

I am a first generation American in the US. My family is from originally from El Salvador, C.A. and I am a Texas native.

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Since childhood, I always had a fascination with space. On family trips to El Salvador, I would try to count all of the stars in the night sky! When I was a senior in high school, I applied for a NASA internship, something I thought might be a bit out of reach but my love for space wanted me to take a chance. Little did I know that it would change my life. I was accepted and I fell in love with the space industry. My career goal became working in the space industry as an engineer and I can proudly say that I was able to reach that goal.

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I feel very fortunate to work in the space industry and I work to guide others who are interested in STEM and/or working in the aerospace industry. I love to participate in STEM outreach events and speak to students about the importance of careers in STEM. I recently published a bilingual children's coloring book called Space Espacio because I believe biculturalism is important and representation in literacy matters. I want to help bridge a gap in STEM resources for bilingual children. 

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