Clayton State Student Jennifer Jimenez Hernandez was selected to join NASA's L'SPACE Mission Concept Academy (MCA) as a Program Analyst

(September 15, 2026) - Over the next 15 weeks, Clayton State senior accounting major Jennifer Jimenez Hernandez will be stepping into the heart of NASA’s mission planning process. This experiential learning program offers the opportunity to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and simulate the real-world dynamics of a global space mission.

In this role, Jimenez Hernandez will gain hands-on experience with the full NASA mission lifecycle from preliminary design to review procedures.  She will be developing technical skills in computer-aided design (CAD) using Siemens NX engineering software and planetary data analysis with JMARS, while also honing her abilities in technical writing and proposal development.

Jimenez Hernandez said, “I am eager to learn from NASA and industry experts, build leadership skills within a virtual team environment, and contribute to developing a preliminary mission concept that follows NASA’s rigorous standards. This is an incredible step forward in my journey toward space mission development, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Reflecting on her time on campus and being a part of Laker Nation, Jimenez Hernandez said, “What I enjoy most about being a student at Clayton State is how accessible and supportive the people are, whether it's professors or fellow students; someone is always willing to help. I also love the strong sense of community on campus, which is fostered through the many events and activities the school offers.”

As Jimenez Hernandez finishes her senior year, her internship opportunities and other professional learning experiences have helped her decide what career path she wants to explore.  She said, “After completing an internship with Boeing, I developed a strong interest in the space and aerospace industry. That interest grew even stronger after the launch of Artemis II, so I decided to pursue it further, and fortunately, the NASA L'Space program was actively accepting applications at the time.”

Looking ahead to her future career, Jimenez Hernandez shared, “After graduation, I hope to become a financial analyst in the space or aerospace industry, though I'm open to exploring other areas within the field as well.”