Reaching for the stars

Anala Thakkar, of South Elgin, Ill., is on track to achieve her mission to graduate with her Associate in Science degree in the summer of 2025. Before completing her degree, she accomplished a significant milestone by participating in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Community College Aerospace Scholars Program, for which she was selected in June 2024.

“I applied without even knowing how competitive it was,” Thakkar said. 

From an initial pool of over 6,000 nationwide applicants, Thakkar joined a group of just 600 students for Mission 1. This foundational phase of the program offered an in-depth exploration of NASA, which breaks down into five Mission Directorates: Aeronautics, Exploration Systems, Science, Space Operations, and Space Technology. 

After completing Mission 1, Thakkar was one of 450 students selected for Mission 2,  a competitive, week-long career simulation in which participants worked in teams to design and develop a lunar rover simulation.

“Anala excelled in this phase, assuming the role of science communication specialist. She contributed to the technical aspects of the project and played an integral part in communicating the team’s work to NASA mentors and the public,” said Farah Bennani, PhD, dean of math, science, and engineering. “Her ability to thrive in this high-pressure environment reflects on her adaptability which is a key characteristic of our students at ECC.”

To handle the strenuous nature of the program, Thakkar relied on what she learned in her classes at ECC and stayed organized. “ECC’s physics classes helped me better understand the aeronautical and technical aspects,” Thakkar said. “It was very stressful, and I probably spent over 30 hours working on Mission 2. Time management was a critical skill to have during that time.”

Despite the program’s intensity, Thakkar enjoyed working with students across the country who were just like her. “The NASA program helped me quite a bit because I could interact with people with the same interests as me,” Thakkar said. “It was nice to have a community of college students across the nation to talk about our passions while working on the project together.”

While she wasn’t chosen for Mission 3, Thakkar is still on the path to graduate and then pursue a PhD in physics. 

Her interest in physics began at a young age when she realized how quickly she grasped math and science and easily solved problems. Her turning point came in eighth grade at a career fair hosted by District U-46, where she met a physicist from Fermilab.

“She told me about her work, and I thought it was cool and interesting, and that pushed me to want to do work like that, too,” Thakkar said. “Ever since, I started trying to learn more about physics and math, making it my focus.”

Part of that focus was also to enjoy herself. Thakkar became a member and president of ECC’s Mu Alpha Theta math club after Chris Cunningham, assistant professor of mathematics, scouted her to lead the group.  

“Anala is not just an excellent student; she is also a natural leader,” Cunningham said. “She took a band of disorganized math students and turned them into a club. I hope we get her to come back and visit often after she graduates!”

Thakkar is hard at work applying to universities and looks forward to pursuing a PhD in physics.

“Physics is pretty versatile, but my preferred avenue would be research,” Thakkar said. “That can be hard to break into, but there are a lot of options with a physics PhD, so I’m staying flexible.”

Read the entire spring 2025 issue of Impact Magazine online here.