Alumni Spotlight: Nathan Commissariat ’19

Read our latest alumni update from Nathan Commissariat ’19 who spent part of the year interning in Florida with SpaceX! Hear from him about his experiences and reflection on how Post Oak continues to impact his life after high school:

In early August 2022, I completed my seven-month internship with SpaceX at Cape Canaveral, FL, as part of the Starship Launch Engineering team. During my time on the Space Coast, I had several notable responsibilities in support of the Starship Program, including construction management and construction logistics at both Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A and Roberts Road.

I was also responsible for issuing and overseeing multi-million dollar contracts and the procurement of services, equipment, and supplies for the Starship Factory. Some of my other responsibilities were to serve as a project manager on various scopes of work at both the launch and production sites, including all coordination and oversight for Starship Factory underground utilities. Through each project, I had the opportunity to integrate numerous teams of subcontractors to achieve our rapid schedule, analyze issues in the field, and solve them with support from the rest of the SpaceX team. It was extremely gratifying to witness many of the incredible milestones we achieved as a team in such a short time span. I am grateful to all those who helped me obtain my internship at SpaceX and succeed in my role.

During my internship, I couldn't believe that I was directly playing a role in building the production and launch sites that will one day create and launch the rockets that take us to Mars. Looking back, it is incredibly inspiring to know I worked on these projects, and even more thrilling to know that I will soon be back to work on even cooler projects with the team.

Please tell our readers how long you were at Post Oak.

Four years.

Where are you now?

Back at College—Colorado School of Mines—after my seven-month internship with SpaceX!

What are some of your most vivid memories of Post Oak?

J & A-Terms were my favorite experience at Post Oak. I really enjoyed getting a chance to explore interests, specifically Compute a Computer, Managua Field School, and London A-Term. I got to explore new cultures and engage with communities I never would have interacted with if it wasn’t for Post Oak.

Talk about what it was like after graduating. What was it like to start your new journey?

Exciting! [It] can feel a bit daunting to leave a very small tight-knit community for a larger school setting, but it was exciting to branch out and explore new opportunities.

How did your Post Oak experiences (internships, travel, studies) help prepare you for college or life after Post Oak?

They helped me solidify my passions and future career path in civil engineering. Some of the experiences allowed me the opportunity to learn about topics I would not traditionally have been exposed to.

What passions and interests did you pursue at Post Oak that you still pursue now? How did being at Post Oak help further your pursuit of these interests?

I liked to help create and be a part of events that brought the community together (Friday flicks, community meetings, etc). I try to take part in community events a lot now at Mines, especially through clubs and professional organizations on campus.

If you had to pass along words of wisdom to future Post Oak students, what would you tell them?

Take advantage of opportunities to explore your interests! Whether it’s proposing a new J-Term or having an internship during the school year (you don’t get these types of experiences again!)

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Our thanks to Nathan and congratulations on all your work! If you’re an alum reading this, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to let us know what’s happening in your life.