Mars Science Lab Engineer Diana Trujillo
by Kari Cornell
Review By Fatima Khan, Associate Producer, ReadingWithYourKids.com
This book is an inspirational story of Diana Trujillo, who is an Aerospace Engineer at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The book uses simple language and is recommended for children aged between 8 to 10 years of age. It tells the story of Diana Trujillo from when she was a kid, since she was always interested in Math’s and Science, she wanted to learn more about the outer space and stars and she always dreamt about being a NASA engineer and worked really hard to achieve her dreams.
Diana grew up in Cali, Colombia, in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Right after graduating from high school, Diana Trujillo moved from Cali, Columbia to Miami, Florida. Diana loved doing math but she concentrated on learning English at Miami Dade College. Needing a break from learning a new language, she borrowed a textbook from the math department so she could relax by working math problems.
Diana ended up graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in aerospace engineering. Finding a job at her dream destination, she worked on the Mars Curiosity rover project. Diana’s team needed to find a way to collect rock samples on Mars. The problem was the red dust that covers the planet. This team created a Dust Removal Tool which allowed scientists to see the rock underneath and make a decision about drilling. Trujillo became the lead engineer on the team. She continues to work on the Curiosity rover project, mentors new scientists at NASA, and speaks to students in schools. Trujillo believes that just as she found a connection between art and math, everyone can find a connection between their passions and a career in science or math.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it could be a great book to read to children and inspire them to work hard and achieve their dreams in life. Diana Trujillo is a role model for all students who are interested in STEM subjects. This book has an amazing illustrations, right from the picture of Diana to the picture of a telescope used at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre. NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has taken some dazzling new photos of the Red Planet and this book has a picture of Mars surface and also captures a patch of rock cleaned by the first use of the rover’s Dust Removal Tool.
To conclude, this book celebrates the success of Diana Trujillo and her achievement and introduces kids to NASA and inspire them to follow their dreams in life.
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