Honors communication grad lands NASA storytelling internship
5 – minute read
For Christmas one year, Brandon Cominsky received a telescope as a gift. This singular gesture propelled his life on a unique journey that led to a NASA internship.
“I used that telescope religiously,” he said. “I have always had an interest in space and the stars, but I also love writing and reporting. My love for reporting triumphed over my love for space as a kid, but as I got older I always still had a deep love for space.”
Cominsky, 22, pursued that love as an audio storytelling intern for NASA this summer, after graduating cum laude last spring from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Honors College. Working at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, he helped write and produce episodes for NASA podcasts like “Curious Universe.” He also helped with audio strategies and campaigns for these podcasts, finding ways “to add new sparkle” and revamp them. Cominsky interviewed guests and subject matter experts, too.
He landed the internship through a casual LinkedIn search in September 2023.
“I had my own podcast at the time and was looking to find collaborators for one of my own episodes, and I stumbled upon a posting for this opportunity. I then became really fascinated with this role and networked with the NASA audio lead, Katie Konans. The rest was history.”
A week in his life at Goddard included developing episode plans, recording audio and video interviews and spending hours in the audio booth. He also took a break each day for a scooter ride, which is free to all employees at the center.
“This summer I have gotten to meet so many cool people,” he said. “I got to meet the Artemis II crew and to interact and chat with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. I have also gotten to meet subject matter experts and scientists like Vicki Kloeris,” who recently retired after working in space food systems at NASA for 34 years.
One of Cominsky’s many responsibilities was to act as moderator for NASA livestreams, which meant going through the many chats and messages and flagging questions for scientists and subject matter experts to answer live.
“I can say being a livestream moderator was cool and pretty funny at times. Because I would get to see so many funny questions and random statements asked in these forums — which definitely didn’t make the cut but did bring me joy and sparked some inner curiosity in me.”
You can listen to NASA podcasts like “Houston We Have a Podcast,” “NASA’s Curious Universe,” “On a Mission” and “Small Steps, Giant Leaps” wherever podcasts are available.
“They are all unique in their own ways and all teach some pretty cool things that most of us may not know about happening in the world around us,” said Cominsky.
He said most people fail to realize that NASA has a place for everyone, even if their career background isn’t focused on science.
“NASA has so many opportunities that aren’t just for people with a background in STEM,” he said. “NASA is an amazing company that puts its employees first, and I can see myself working for NASA forever.”
In the meantime, he’s pursuing a communication master’s degree at the University of Central Florida. At FGCU, he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in communication studies and a minor in interdisciplinary studies.
He credits his success at NASA to his time at FGCU.
“Being at FGCU for four years taught me how to be independent and how to become a better manager of my own personal time,” said Cominsky. “While working for FGCU housing and for FGCU Eagle Radio for several years I learned how to be a self-starter, and this is a critical thing to have in my role at NASA.”
Cominsky said there are many people at FGCU to whom he is grateful and who made a meaningful impact on his life.
“Mary Walch, Amanda Parke and Sachiko Tankei really pushed me to think outside of the box and really helped me grow as a student and as a person,” said Cominsky. “They could be tough at times, but these professors genuinely gave me the best advice and helped me prepare for this internship and for graduate school with grace and compassion.”
Cominsky said communication faculty are dedicated to helping their students understand their degree on a deeper level.
To current Eagles reading this, he strongly urges engaging with campus activities and organizations.
“Do things outside of your comfort zone. Getting involved can not only be a great morale booster, but it can be a great resume booster as well,” he said.