Entrepreneurship launches MSU student to NASA internship
March 2, 2020
BOZEMAN — When Joaquin Monterrosa started interning at Montana State University's Blackstone LaunchPad as a freshman, he noticed that many of the students and alumni seeking the center's free venture-coaching services were developing new software apps.
A business major from Anchorage, Alaska, Monterrosa had never written a single line of computer code. But, going into his sophomore year, the experience inspired him to buy an introductory computer programming book, then take the leap of declaring a second major in computer science.
His first classes in the Gianforte School of Computing in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering were a challenge, he said. To speed up his proficiency with the programming languages he wanted to learn, he even developed a routine for practicing outside of his assigned coursework.
That's why, when he was notified recently that he has been selected for a NASA internship that will involve programming launch control software at the Kennedy Space Center, Monterrosa, now a junior, was thrilled. "It feels like such a great affirmation," he said. "My hope is that at the end of this internship I'll have a really strong toolkit of interdisciplinary skills that I can apply to any kind of venture."
Trevor Huffmaster, director of MSU’s Blackstone LaunchPad, said he's not surprised that Monterrosa won the competitive opportunity to join a handful of NASA interns selected nationally. "He's extremely hardworking and talented, as well as a good communicator," Huffmaster said. "When he's venture coaching, he pulls from his own experience but also continually challenges himself to learn new things. I'm very excited for him."
MSU’s Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars provides students and recent alumni of all majors with access to mentoring, networking and other resources to accelerate the success of their entrepreneurial ventures, Huffmaster said.
Susan Dana, associate professor in MSU's Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, said that Monterrosa, whom she taught in her freshman seminar, is "an entrepreneur at heart." His path at MSU exemplifies lessons that she tries to instill in all her students, she said.
"I strongly encourage students to combine business with their other interests so that they're in a better position to succeed at something they're passionate about," Dana said. Monterrosa's combining of business with computer science "will create a lot of opportunities for him in the future," she said.
For Monterrosa, who helps advise fellow undergraduates as a student ambassador in the business college, the NASA internship is an example of the opportunities open to any MSU student, he said. "I always tell people, 'You can apply to whatever job or internship you want, and as long as you go after it, MSU provides all the education and support you need,'" he said. "I'm really grateful for that."
Last summer, Monterrosa interned at a fast-paced Silicon Valley firm that advises tech companies on their data-handling procedures. That experience "really satiated the business side of my interests," he said, and now he is focusing on his computing skills.
With a few friends, Monterrosa started a business to develop a software app that alerts people to free leftover food that would otherwise be wasted. "It's fun," he said. "I really like understanding the value that software can provide people."
And, as he continues his work at the LaunchPad of helping up to five clients per week advance their business ideas, he gets a preview of how his software skills, sharpened after a summer of programming at NASA, might be put to yet more use.
"As a student, it's inspiring to be around that," he said.
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