Adriana Ocampo

I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and I was raised in Argentina. My family and I moved to the United States when I was a teenager. I now live in Washington, DC.

When I was a little girl I would go on the roof of my house and look at the stars and wonder how far they were away from me. I would also make "spacecraft" with the pots and pans from my mother's kitchen. I would dress my doll up as an astronaut, and my dog Taurus was my co-pilot.

As soon as I landed in the USA I asked: "Where is NASA?" After my junior year in high school, and thanks to the Space Exploration Post 509 -- sponsored by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), I was able to first volunteer at JPL and then work there as an employee during the summer. As I started college I continued to work at JPL. I majored in geology at the California State University at Los Angeles, earning a B.S. there in 1983. I then got my Master of Science in planetary geology from California State University, Northridge. I received both my degrees while working full-time at JPL as a research scientist.

My parents were my inspiration. They always encouraged me to reach for the stars and instilled in me the knowledge that education was the gateway to making my dreams come true. Space exploration was my passion from a very young age, and I knew I wanted to be part of it. I would dream and design space colonies while sitting atop the roof of my family's home in Argentina.

A favorite moment would have to be my research that led to the discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater. The impact that formed this crater caused the extinction of more than 50% of the Earth's species, including the dinosaurs.

I wrote my master's and Ph.D. theses on this crater and I have led six research expeditions to study this amazing event that changed the evolution of life on our planet.

Dream and never give up. When thinking about the great adventure that you have ahead, dream and never give-up, be persistent and always be true to your heart. Live life with gusto. I would like to share my mnemonic (STARS) with you from the Girl Scouts book "Recipes for Success:"

STARS

Smile: Life is a great adventure
Transcend to triumph over the negative
Aspire to be the best
Resolve to be true to your heart
Success comes to those who never give up on their dreams

I love nature and anything that has to do with flying. Also, I love exploring and living life like it is a grand adventure.

Planetary science is a global profession.

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