A young General’s Journey to Space and Beyond

GUEST WRITER: JC Torreda

Growing up in GenSan, I was your typical and ordinary student – not the brightest in the class, timid at times, likes to play around and have fun. But what sets me apart is my desire to fulfill my dreams. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Like most of the students, I only aspire to finish my studies – and marching to my graduation is probably the promise that I have sworn to my mom. All I thought was how to survive each day as a student from the province.

So if you say words like “I’m not sure what to do with life,” you’re not alone.

As a teenager, I would always wonder what my life would be after 10 to 15 years. During that time, I wasn’t really sure of “what I want to do” or “who i want to be”. So, after I graduated, I became one of the many Filipinos who tried establishing a career abroad, working for a plantation company as the head of the IT department.

I have learned to say “yes” to challenges, which eventually led me to good opportunities.

Fast forward to 2018, I got a career in Manila as a Lead Solutions Designer for a top telecommunications company in the Philippines. It might have taken some years, but I finally understood that what my heart wants is to create something of value and purpose with the skills that I have.

So, when my close friends invited me to join a hackathon through the NASA Space Apps Challenge, I felt excited. With much enthusiasm knowing that I was going to be with my friends, I agreed to be part of Team iNON as the Solutions Designer for the app. Little did I know that this is just the start of an awesome journey!

In today’s society technology plays a very important role. However,in creating solutions  it doesn’t always mean that you have to invent something cutting-end. The value that it will bring to the community is what matters the most.

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is one of the major plot twists of my life. It made me realize my purpose and the value that I wanted to create as my living legacy. I wanted to be an evangelist of the culture of Innovation, a catalyst of change and promote creating value out of technology.
And as a way of sharing this purpose, for the very first time,  we’re bringing the challenge in Region 12 (SOX).

Now in its 9th year, Space Apps is an international hackathon for coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, technologists, and others in cities around the world, where teams engage with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s free and open data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space. Space Apps 2019 included over 29,000 participants at 225 events in 71 countries.

In May 2020, the virtual-only Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge concluded with over 15,000 participants from 150 countries. Space Apps is a NASA-led initiative organized in collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, SecondMuse, and the NASA Open Innovation Applied Sciences Program.

Space Apps 2020 will be coming to Socsargen on October 2-4. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the interest of our global community’s health and safety, NASA and the Space Apps Global Organizing Team have made the difficult decision to make this year’s hackathon an all-virtual event. (All local events will be moved online.) Our theme for this year’s event — “Take Action” — is a critical reminder that you can make a difference, even from the comfort and safety of home.

Regardless if you’re a professional or a student, you can always build your dreams. It only takes one idea and with this opportunity given by Space Apps you can bring that idea to life. 

Beat the odds, Register Now and be the NEXT NASA Space Apps Challenge winner and represent the Philippines! 

Facebook Page: NASA Space Apps Challenge Socsargen