Andrea Coloma remembers the first time she fell in love with outer space.
"At EPCOT on Mission: SPACE," the 19-year-old said with a big smile. "They spin you around and make you feel like you're going to Mars."
The sophomore in USF St. Petersburg's graphic arts program may not be going to the real Red Planet anytime soon.
But her talent is out of this world.
Throughout the course of five — yes, five — internships with NASA, Colma has illustrated everything from short films to newsletters to an upcoming children's book about the Artemis 1 mission.
"Space is so infinite — there could be anything in space!" she said. "And these giant space machines are so complex. But I'm making a kid's book, so it has to be on a level that they understand."
Colma's style is playful, with a smart Pixar bubbliness, yet it's also loyal and respectful to the men and women in space exploration.
Her dual passions were born in the shadows of the Kennedy Space Center and Disney World. Her family is from Ecuador, and they worked hard to make sure she had a chance to follow her dreams.
"This has been amazing," she said. "It's been awesome to make my family proud."
Next up for Colma? Releasing some of her own work, maybe a comic about playing with her dog on the moon.
And finding another internship opportunity, preferably a local one that lets her talent soar.
