Toll now, space tomorrow

Gary Moskowitz

To an eighth-grade student in middle school, somebody who knows

about liquid rocket engines is immediately dubbed “cool.”

Eighth-grade science classes at Toll Middle School got a visit

Wednesday from four Boeing employees, who talked to students about

rocketry, computers and what life is like for a physicist. The visit

came during a career-day event at the school.

For Boeing physicist Aaron Schwartzbart, the chance to talk to

students about science, physics and space travel is an opportunity to

change a student’s outlook on life.

“I wanted to be a rock star or a race car driver,” Schwartzbart

said. “But my senior year in high school, my physics professor taught

me that you can do whatever you want in life but you have to be

prepared to deal with the consequences. I began studying physics

every day during lunchtime.”

Schwartzbart was joined by Boeing colleagues Liz Morrell, Roger

Richardson and Hagop Panossian.

Each talked about how they got to work for Boeing, their college

education and personal experiences working with things like air

density and pressure, engine design, flight trajectories, space

propulsion systems and how a video game like “Grand Theft Auto”

really works.

For students like Donara Grigoryan, 13, space travel and rocket

experiments are too dangerous of a career choice.

“You risk your life to go into space,” Donara said. “It’s too

dangerous. It’s worth it for learning but I wouldn’t want to mess up

other people’s lives.”

Thirteen-year-old Lea Agah, after watching a video of astronauts

eating and working in space, decided she wanted to be one.

“My sister and I both want to be astronauts,” Lea said. “It’s just

too cool to be able to fly in space.”

Eighth-grade physical science teacher Houry Mandjikian wants her

students to know they can work toward a career in physics or science

if they start applying themselves.

“A 13-year-old is very interested in flying and space travel,”

Mandjikian said. “They are really into it, and having people come in

and talk about careers in the field gives them close to a first-hand

experience.’