Jenna Kay's Journey to NASA
Jenna Kay Foertsch understands - and appreciates - the time and hard work her teachers in One91 dedicated to her learning.
“I had a few teachers that really stood out to me and all of them in different subject areas,” Jenna Kay said. “Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned were not from lessons during class but from the chats I had with teachers after class while asking for advice,” Jenna Kay noted. She was not a student who excelled in a particular subject, but she felt a spark – because of her teachers – in STEM-related courses. It was the Burnsville High School robotics team that made a difference. “Joining the robotics team changed the trajectory of both my career and my life,” Jenna Kay said. “The high school robotics team was a perfect blend of STEM, business, communications, outreach and education – where my sweet spot lies. Through robotics, I discovered a network and community that led to my love for both space and NASA,” Jenna Kay added. She is a 2015 graduate of Burnsville High School and completed her degree at the University of Minnesota. She is now working in her “dream job” at NASA in the Planning, Integration and Environmental Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Jenna Kay also serves as a mentor to high school robotics team through FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) and has served as a mentor for a Burnsville High School team.
Joining the robotics team changed the trajectory of both my career and my life. The high school robotics team was a perfect blend of STEM, business, communications, outreach and education - where my sweet spot lies. Through robotics, I discovered a network and community that led to my love for both space and NASA.
- Jenna Kay Foertsch
High School Years
Jenna Kay’s interest in STEM-related courses is sparked at Burnsville High School with the help of several teachers.
11th Grade
Jenna Kay joins the robotics team at Burnsville High School.
“I remember watching kids walking into the basement of my school. At that time, I had just quit volleyball because I was injured. I was devastated that I didn’t have something to stimulate me or do after school. So I walked down into the basement and was instantly hooked by the chaos. I pretty much lived in that basement for the rest of my high school career.”
Junior Year of College
Jenna Kay discovers her love for NASA. “I got into NASA not because I was a ‘genius’ or ‘rocket scientist,’ but because I am curious and like to solve problems,” she noted.
2018
Jenna Kay starts the first of five internships at NASA. She works in data analytics and visualization in center operations, technology transfer in the exploration technology office and the public affairs office.
January 2021
Jenna Kay begins her full-time employment at NASA in the Planning, Integration and Environmental Office