May Alumni Spotlight: Justin Prasai (John F. Kennedy High School)

This month’s Alumni Spotlight shines on Justin Prasai, a Civics and Citizenship alum from John F. Kennedy High School in Montgomery County, MD.

Justin graduated in May 2020 from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering and recently, started his Master's program in Systems Engineering, with a focus on Human-Centered and Software Systems, at Johns Hopkins University.

He works as a Systems Engineer and Product Designer at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He recently created an application that tells you about the delays happening at airports and in the airspace around the country called National Airspace System Status (NAS Status), https://nasstatus.faa.gov/. It is used by airlines and business aviation operators, and the flying public every day for flight planning and situational awareness.

Here is what he had to say:

“I came to the United States from Nepal at 14 years old. Coming to America was different; I experienced a good amount of culture shock. The teaching style was different; the education system was focused on sports and extracurricular activities in addition to academics, but through programs like [Liberty’s Promise] I was able to adapt quickly.

My sister was part of LP before me and when she asked if I wanted to join, I was doing really well in school and was not interested. But I quickly learned grades are not everything, as future employers are looking for volunteer and work experience. I remember my sister found many internships and volunteer opportunities through LP and I wanted some opportunities, too.

I am very grateful for Liberty’s Promise and my mentor, Julian. LP placed me in my first internship at Commonweal Foundation, and that internship connected me to the National Academy of Sciences. There, I was able to find a department in aviation, which worked on research regarding airports. I was able to get my foot through the door in aviation and then, found more aviation-related internships, which eventually led me to the FAA. And to this day, this is the reason why I am so grateful to Liberty’s Promise.

I truly admire LP’s mission for teaching youth about the opportunities that are available to them. I encourage the younger generation to apply to all of the opportunities available because it only takes one opportunity to take you to the next level. This is something I share with all students. I really enjoy mentoring them in these areas. During the summer, I mentor some of the interns at our agency. I previously also tutored high school students. For a lot of us immigrant students, our parents aren’t familiar with the academic system as they moved here in the later stages of their life. A lot of my friends and I were not aware of different career opportunities and we couldn’t seek advice from our parents in these areas. But at LP, we had a mentor leading and guiding us to different opportunities.

The most meaningful lessons from LP were learning the importance of good communication skills and being able to network and proactively find opportunities. I heard this, especially from guest speakers who would say follow up with people, have conversations, ask questions, and build a good rapport.

I would tell younger alumni, do not to be afraid. Follow your dreams. Stay brave. Do not be intimidated to apply to bigger universities; there are endless opportunities for everyone. My personal motto is “Dream it, speak it, and go out there and do it.” In high school, some of my friends thought they could not purpose a good career because of their grades. Do not let grades stop you. There will always be opportunities to improve your grades. Attend career fairs, talk to recruiters, and find an internship because today’s job market is competitive and it is hard to find a job without previous experience, even at an entry-level job. Join clubs and build leadership skills. For example, my resume stood out because I had tons of internship and volunteer experience. Lastly, do well in school, but do internships. See the value of volunteering and internships over part-time jobs. This will bring at least ten times the career and financial growth and rewards in the long run that a part-time job won’t.”