Meet Daniela Morales, a senior in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication (SJSC) and current intern at NASA.

Morales is a Public Relations major with a minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and she’s excited to be combining her two passions through her internship with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program this summer.

“The whole basis of the internship is translating NASA SCaN educational materials for students, and that’s something I’m really passionate about,” Morales said. “Making educational materials and education overall more accessible for people, students, and little kids — I think that’s really important.” 

At Ball State, Morales is heavily involved in student media and organizations and has been recognized for her writing, reporting, and leadership skills. Through her classes, involvement in student organizations, and related jobs, she said she has honed the skills and received the mentorship she needed to prepare her for this opportunity.  

Before starting her internship, Morales sat down with CCIM Outreach Office Student Worker Maggey Parker (Department of Communication Studies, ’24) to discuss Morales’ internship, experience as a Ball State student, and more.  

This summer, you are interning with NASA. How did you find out about this opportunity?  

I remember briefly telling Kevin Moloney, associate professor in SJSC and the advisor for Latinx in Media, that I’d been struggling to get an internship, and he kept that in mind. Every time an internship would come out, he would send them over to me. He sent me the NASA internship that Unified Media Creative Director Betsy Meyer shared, and applications were due the next day.  

At first, I thought, “It’s NASA; this is a big deal!” At least for me, I thought to myself, “There’s no way I’m going to get this, but I’m going to complete the application, write this essay, submit my transcript, and try to make it as clean as possible.” So, I sent it over, and I got it! 

What intrigued you the most about this opportunity to intern for NASA? 

The particular job that I applied for was strategic communication with Spanish language required. That was one of the things that really intrigued me because I felt my two niches were coming together. The description explained the position was mainly translating educational materials for students into Spanish so that they are more accessible. I’ve always been advocating for the Latinx community in particular, and when I knew they were trying to make it more accessible so that more students could access these types of educational materials, I was like, “This is perfect for me.” So, the fact that it landed on my lap and it was my two niches in one was something that really sparked my interest and the reason why I was like “Okay, I have to apply for this, even if it’s due the next day.” Also, I don’t think people realize how diverse public relations is; you can work anywhere.  

What do you expect to do at your internship? 

Translating educational materials into Spanish is something I know I’ll be helping with. Also, during the interview, I asked what every day looks like, and they said every day is very different. I think most of it is going to entail outreach for elementary schools, mainly focusing on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) engagement, to engage students more with that material and information. They also expressed that a previous intern had the opportunity to design a children’s book and they need copy for that book, so it’s pretty cool to think I could be part of helping NASA write a children’s book. 

What are you most looking forward to in your internship?

Honestly, I’m really excited about everything. Obviously, I’m really nervous about it, too, but I have to relocate for this internship, which is going to challenge me in a good way, and I’m just really excited to grow and learn. It’ll push me to step out of my comfort zone and I know it’s going to be exciting and challenging. I think relocating, living in a different city, meeting new people, gaining more connections, and just making a difference is really exciting. I know it’s going to be a good summer. 

Do you feel like your experiences in and out of the classroom helped you earn this internship? 

I think SJSC gives us a lot of transferable skills that can be picked up. I feel like I’ve had great opportunities with leadership, which I appreciate so much, and I feel like those have helped me get this internship and be able to differentiate when it’s time to lead and when it’s time to take a step back and be a helping hand to people. 

How are you involved outside of the classroom?

I’m the editor-in-chief of Ball Bearings Magazine, so that takes up a pretty good chunk of my time. I’m also the public relations associate for the McKinley Avenue Agency, which is really fun to go in between both Ball Bearings and the agency because they work together; it’s fun to see both sides of it.  

I’m also the vice president for Latinx Media. We do a lot of professional events with students, particularly the Latinx community. I also work at the admissions office, so I’m at the Welcome Center and I do tour services and take phone calls from prospective students and families.

What has your experience as an SJSC student been like?

It’s been such a great experience; the number of opportunities that I’ve gotten, the ability to go and try different things has been so important to me, and being able to have faculty that support you along the way and want to see you succeed is also really important for me.  

Kevin didn’t have to take me under his wing, but he did. I just feel like being able to connect with your professors that way, try different things, and have the opportunity to say, “You know what, this might not be for me, but I can try something new.”  

Have any other faculty or staff made a large impact on your journey?  

Andrea Sadler, associate director of admissions, is my boss and supervisor in the Welcome Center. When I was going through the whole NASA process, she was a big part of that. She helped by giving me tips with the interview, email etiquette, and the process after you get offered a job. She’s always been a really big help, and she’s always been so kind and caring. 

And then Lisa Renze, former manager of Unified Media. I knew taking the editor-in-chief position at Ball Bearings would be difficult, and I had a lot of doubt in myself. I kept saying, “I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” but she definitely gave me a little push and was like, “No, you got it.” 

How did you initially decide to come to Ball State?

I first applied to 12 different colleges, which is kind of crazy, but I toured here and my tour was actually done in Spanish. My parents don’t know English, and Ball State was probably one of the only ones that I saw that was really accommodating to that fact. It was really touching that my parents were able to hear the information on the tour and my dad felt a lot more comfortable because he could understand what was going on here. 

But also, the program is so well-known and accomplished. I knew that CCIM and SJSC were highly ranked, and JDAY was something that I knew about in high school as well, so it was always in the back of my mind that Ball State had a really good program for PR, journalism, advertising, and all of those different fields. 

What advice would you give to a freshman at Ball State?  

I think there are two main things. The first one would be to get involved. Getting involved is so important. I feel like you can experience the difference between taking classes and putting that knowledge to work. Don’t wait until you’re a junior and you have to get your internship and you don’t have anything to put on your resume.  

I think my second piece of advice is to get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and if you find an organization you like, stick with it and try to climb your way up to those executive positions. You’re going to get so much more out of your college experience if you go out, meet new people, gain new perspectives, and gain new skills.