At just 28 years old, a Venezuelan who is part of a communication team for an ICESat-2 space mission, tells how he managed to reach NASA
Text: Fabiana Rondon
Venezuelan Eliezer García Gazaui has had two clear passions since he was very young: medicine and exploring his creativity.
The first was transformed into his career, which he studied at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). The second of her began to show her through social networks, where she published images of her authorship. However, she never imagined that one of her passions would make him a communication and creative spokesperson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
At just 28 years old, García Gazaui, a native of Caracas, has just joined a team of students at The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) whose job is to create innovative ways to communicate the progress of the ICESat-2 space mission, a NASA satellite designed to measure melting ice and its global impact.
“To be honest I never imagined working with NASA. I have always admired the work of NASA and its vocation to explore has inspired me since I was little. They made me a lover of space, but I never imagined that I would be so close to them,” said the Venezuelan in an interview with the Voice of America.
Garcia says the experience has been “unique” because it has allowed him to visit the Goddard Space Flight Center facilities in Greenbelt, Maryland, and also meet scientists and other specialists who work with NASA.
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A hobby turned career that landed him at NASA
García was always clear that medicine would be the first career he would study, although he admits that several episodes during his adolescence made him doubt.
“When I was close to graduating from college, I was given my first camera, and I fell in love with photography. I started winning student contests, my photos were going viral on Facebook and Twitter, and I realized that if all this was happening, it was because I was doing something right. Since then I was curious to study something else, but I was afraid to give up my childhood dream,” she recounted.
García Gazaui is part of the student team at The Savannah College of Art and Design, which created innovative ways to communicate the progress of the ICESat-2 space mission.
Eliezer began to study medicine, but during those years of classes he confesses that his artistic side “shot up”, so he no longer published only photos on social networks, but also added videos and a little animation to his accounts. On his Instagram account — where he defines himself as “a doctor who treats creative emergencies” — he has more than 15,000 followers. He also provides advice on projects and innovative ideas through the networks.
“When I realized that I was also passionate about audiovisuals, I made a promise to myself that I would study somewhere where I could explore everything related to the arts, and that is how I came to SCAD, the university for creative careers,” he said.
In 2021, after graduating from the UCV medical school in Caracas, Eliezer García Gazaui emigrated to the US, and settled in Savannah, Georgia, where he studied Special Effects and Creative Technologies at SCAD.
During these more than two years of study, García managed to be part of the SCADpro team, SCAD’s innovation studio specialized in innovating and producing commercial solutions for the most influential brands in the world. Thanks to this he managed to be part of the NASA communication team.
“When I found out that NASA is an ally of SCAD, I clung to the idea that this could happen and I asked God for it to happen. It’s still surreal to be a part of the team, and I’m so happy and grateful to be experiencing this very special thing,” he added.
During these more than two years of study, Eliezer García Gazaui managed to be part of the SCADpro team, the innovation studio of The Savannah College of Art and Design. [Foto: Cortesía Eliezer García Gazaui].
He added that it is an experience that shows that dreams come true, as long as you work with discipline and excellence.
“It is tasty to see so many Venezuelans succeeding in the arts and sciences, and it fills me with pride to be part of them because we are the sample of what we are capable of,” he added.
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