College : UC Berkeley Career Goal : Aerospace Engineer for NASA
About Keana : Keana Hokama wants to be an aerospace engineer , her interest sparked by stories about her greatgrandfather , Victor L . Peterson , who was the deputy director of NASA in the late 1980s and early 1990s . This past year she fabricated an original rocket design using 3D printers , laser cutter and measurement tools at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology ( CART ), a half-day program she attended along with Bullard High School .
Keana describes her home life as “ unstable ” and changed schools six times . For her senior year , she transferred to Bullard and CART for more academic opportunities . Not wanting to miss out on the growth opportunities that drama provides , she substituted her lunch break for theater class . She also took a forensics , speech and debate class as an optional seventh period and won numerous speech and debate awards for Original Spoken Word .
Engineering appeals to Keana because of the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects , make a positive impact on the world and provide for her family financially . She is the oldest sibling and wants to make sure her two sisters have the resources they need to pursue their own dreams . She also wants to support her parents and give back to them for all the sacrifices they made for her .
In her words : “ One of my favorite things about engineering is that it ’ s a field where I believe I will never run out of new things to learn and experience , while simultaneously working to solve the problems of society .”
From counselor Korrie Gallardo : “ I ’ m not sure I have met a student with such a distinct passion and curiosity in the arts and sciences the way she does . Based on the conversations I have had with her and her choices in her academic planning , I know she will thrive in college .”
June 7 , 2023 / Save Mart Center
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