“People think I am, like, some valedictorian,” India Jackson said with a laugh Wednesday. “No, I’m not. I am just driven and ambitious.”

This summer, Ms Jackson, 32, is headed to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she will be an intern at NASA, researching solar flares and their effect on astronauts. But that’s not the most interesting part of the story.

She is a single mother who is getting her doctorate in physics at Georgia State University in Atlanta. And to cover the costs of travel and housing, a cousin, Dasha Fuller, set up a campaign on GoFundMe. Within 24 hours, the campaign reached its $8,000 goal and closed. Jackson said it would not be right to accept more than she needed.

“We choose to become scientists to make history,” she said. “Not money.”

So 30 May, Ms Jackson and her 11-year-old daughter, Jewel Henry, will catch a plane to Houston in what the mathematician said she could describe only as a longtime dream. As a young woman growing up in Decatur, Georgia, she first took to science in the ninth grade, when she applied to take classes at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. There, she learned about astronomy and spent hours at the planetarium.

NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks Show all 15 1 /15 NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-14.jpg Dramatic atmospheric features in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere are captured in this view from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The new perspective shows swirling clouds that surround a circular feature within a jet stream region called "Jet N6." This color-enhanced image was taken at 9:20 a.m. PST on Feb. 12, 2019 (12:20 p.m. EST), as the spacecraft performed its 18th close flyby of the gas giant planet. At the time, Juno was about 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a latitude of approximately 55 degrees north. Citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill created this image using data from the spacecraft’s JunoCam imager. The image has been rotated approximately 100 degrees to the right. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-2.jpg A multitude of magnificent, swirling clouds in Jupiter's dynamic North North Temperate Belt is captured in this image from NASA's Juno spacecraft. Appearing in the scene are several bright-white “pop-up” clouds as well as an anticyclonic storm, known as a white oval. This color-enhanced image was taken at 1:58 p.m. PDT on Oct. 29, 2018 (4:58 p.m. EDT) as the spacecraft performed its 16th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 4,400 miles (7,000 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, at a latitude of approximately 40 degrees north. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran created this image using data from the spacecraft's JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-8.jpg See intricate cloud patterns in the northern hemisphere of Jupiter in this new view taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-6.jpg This image captures swirling cloud belts and tumultuous vortices within Jupiter’s northern hemisphere. NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this color-enhanced image at 10:23 p.m. PDT on May 23, 2018 (1:23 a.m. EDT on May 24), as the spacecraft performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 9,600 miles (15,500 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a northern latitude of 56 degrees. The region seen here is somewhat chaotic and turbulent, given the various swirling cloud formations. In general, the darker cloud material is deeper in Jupiter’s atmosphere, while bright cloud material is high. The bright clouds are most likely ammonia or ammonia and water, mixed with a sprinkling of unknown chemical ingredients. A bright oval at bottom center stands out in the scene. This feature appears uniformly white in ground-based telescope observations. However, with JunoCam we can observe the fine-scale structure within this weather system, including additional structures within it. There is not significant motion apparent in the interior of this feature; like the Great Red Spot, its winds probably slows down greatly toward the center. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran created this image using data from the spacecraft’s JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-10.jpg This image captures a close-up view of a storm with bright cloud tops in the northern hemisphere of Jupiter. NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this color-enhanced image on Feb. 7 at 5:38 a.m. PST (8:38 a.m. EST) during its 11th close flyby of the gas giant planet. At the time, the spacecraft was 7,578 miles (12,195 kilometers) from the tops of Jupiter’s clouds at 49.2 degrees north latitude. Citizen scientist Matt Brealey processed the image using data from the JunoCam imager. Citizen scientist Gustavo B C then adjusted colors and embossed Matt Brealey's processing of this storm. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Matt Brealey/Gustavo B C NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-15-0.jpg This image captures the intensity of the jets and vortices in Jupiter’s North North Temperate Belt. NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this color-enhanced image at 10:31 p.m. PDT on May 23, 2018 (1:31 a.m. EDT on May 24), as Juno performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, the spacecraft was about 4,900 miles (7,900 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the gas giant planet at a northern latitude of about 41 degrees. The view is oriented with south on Jupiter toward upper left and north toward lower right. The North North Temperate Belt is the prominent reddish-orange band left of center. It rotates in the same direction as the planet and is predominantly cyclonic, which in the northern hemisphere means its features spin in a counter-clockwise direction. Within the belt are two gray-colored anticyclones. To the left of the belt is a brighter band (the North North Temperate Zone) with high clouds whose vertical relief is accentuated by the low angle of sunlight near the terminator. These clouds are likely made of ammonia-ice crystals, or possibly a combination of ammonia ice and water. Although the region as a whole appears chaotic, there is an alternating pattern of rotating, lighter-colored features on the zone's north and south sides. Scientists think the large-scale dark regions are places where the clouds are deeper, based on infrared observations made at the same time by Juno’s JIRAM experiment and Earth-based supporting observations. Those observations show warmer, and thus deeper, thermal emission from these regions. To the right of the bright zone, and farther north on the planet, Jupiter’s striking banded structure becomes less evident and a region of individual cyclones can be seen, interspersed with smaller, darker anticyclones. Citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill created this image using data from the spacecraft’s JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-9.jpg Citizen scientist Rick Lundh created this abstract Jovian artwork using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The original image captures a close-up view of numerous storms in the northern hemisphere of Jupiter. To produce this artwork, Lundh selected a more contrasting part of one of Jupiter’s storms, then cropped the image and applied an oil-painting filter. NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this image during its tenth close flyby of the gas giant planet on Dec. 16, 2017 at 9:43 a.m. PST (12:43 p.m. EST). At the time, the spacecraft was about 8,292 miles (13,344 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds above the planet, with the images centered at a latitude of 48.9 degrees. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Rick Lundh NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-1.jpg A swirling, oval white cloud in Jupiter’s South South Temperate Belt is captured in this image from NASA's Juno spacecraft. Known as White Oval A5, the feature is an anticyclonic storm. An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon where winds around the storm flow in the direction opposite to those of the flow around a region of low pressure. Juno took the two images used to produce this color-enhanced view on Sept. 6, 2018, at 6:45 p.m. PDT (9:45 p.m. EDT) and 6:58 p.m. PDT (9:58 p.m. EDT) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 15th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the images were taken, the spacecraft was about 25,000 miles (40,500 kilometers) to 39,000 miles (63,000 kilometers) from Jupiter's cloud tops, above a southern latitude spanning from about 54 to 66 degrees. Citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill created this image using data from the spacecraft's JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-5.jpg This image captures a high-altitude cloud formation surrounded by swirling patterns in the atmosphere of Jupiter's North North Temperate Belt region. The North North Temperate Belt is one of Jupiter’s many colorful, swirling cloud bands. Scientists have wondered for decades how deep these bands extend. Gravity measurements collected by Juno during its close flybys of the planet have now provided an answer. Juno discovered that these bands of flowing atmosphere actually penetrate deep into the planet, to a depth of about 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers). NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this color-enhanced image at 10:11 p.m. PDT on July 15, 2018 (1:11 a.m. EDT on July 16), as the spacecraft performed its 14th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 3,900 miles (6,200 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a latitude of 36 degrees. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-3.jpg Intricate swirls in Jupiter’s volatile northern hemisphere are captured in this color-enhanced image from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. Bursts of bright-white “pop-up” clouds appear scattered throughout the scene, with some visibly casting shadows on the neighboring cloud layers beneath them. Juno scientists are using shadows to determine the distances between cloud layers in Jupiter’s atmosphere, which provide clues to their composition and origin. This image was taken at 10:27 p.m. PDT on May 23, 2018 (1:27 a.m. EDT on May 24) as the spacecraft performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 7,050 miles (11,350 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a northern latitude of approximately 49 degrees. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran created this image using data from the spacecraft’s JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstäd/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-13.jpg This color-enhanced image of a massive, raging storm in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere was captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its ninth close flyby of the gas giant planet. The image was taken on Oct. 24, 2017 at 10:32 a.m. PDT (1:32 p.m. EDT). At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was about 6,281 miles (10,108 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of Jupiter at a latitude of 41.84 degrees. The spatial scale in this image is 4.2 miles/pixel (6.7 kilometers/pixel). The storm is rotating counter-clockwise with a wide range of cloud altitudes. The darker clouds are expected to be deeper in the atmosphere than the brightest clouds. Within some of the bright “arms” of this storm, smaller clouds and banks of clouds can be seen, some of which are casting shadows to the right side of this picture (sunlight is coming from the left). The bright clouds and their shadows range from approximately 4 to 8 miles (7 to 12 kilometers) in both widths and lengths. These appear similar to the small clouds in other bright regions Juno has detected and are expected to be updrafts of ammonia ice crystals possibly mixed with water ice. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran processed this image using data from the JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstäd/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-12.jpg See Jovian clouds in striking shades of blue in this new view taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The Juno spacecraft captured this image when the spacecraft was only 11,747 miles (18,906 kilometers) from the tops of Jupiter’s clouds — that’s roughly as far as the distance between New York City and Perth, Australia. The color-enhanced image, which captures a cloud system in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere, was taken on Oct. 24, 2017 at 10:24 a.m. PDT (1:24 p.m. EDT) when Juno was at a latitude of 57.57 degrees (nearly three-fifths of the way from Jupiter’s equator to its north pole) and performing its ninth close flyby of the gas giant planet. The spatial scale in this image is 7.75 miles/pixel (12.5 kilometers/pixel). Because of the Juno-Jupiter-Sun angle when the spacecraft captured this image, the higher-altitude clouds can be seen casting shadows on their surroundings. The behavior is most easily observable in the whitest regions in the image, but also in a few isolated spots in both the bottom and right areas of the image. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstäd/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-11.jpg NASA’s Juno spacecraft was a little more than one Earth diameter from Jupiter when it captured this mind-bending, color-enhanced view of the planet’s tumultuous atmosphere. Jupiter completely fills the image, with only a hint of the terminator (where daylight fades to night) in the upper right corner, and no visible limb (the curved edge of the planet). Juno took this image of colorful, turbulent clouds in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere on Dec. 16, 2017 at 9:43 a.m. PST (12:43 p.m. EST) from 8,292 miles (13,345 kilometers) above the tops of Jupiter’s clouds, at a latitude of 48.9 degrees. The spatial scale in this image is 5.8 miles/pixel (9.3 kilometers/pixel). Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran processed this image using data from the JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstäd/Seán Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-4.jpg The easternmost edge of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and surrounding south tropical disturbance are captured in this image from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. At left, wispy tendrils from the Red Spot give the atmosphere a layered appearance as they partially obscure cloud features below. Jupiter's appearance is a tapestry of vivid colors and swirling atmospheric vortices. Many aspects of the planet’s atmosphere are still a mystery. For example, the origin of individual storms or churning cloud features is unknown. By studying Jupiter’s weather up close for the first time, Juno is helping researchers better understand how atmospheres work in general – including our own. What we learn about Jupiter’s atmosphere will also help scientists understand how gas-giant planets work in general, including those now being discovered beyond our solar system. This color-enhanced image was taken at 3:01 a.m. PDT on April 1, 2018 (6:01 a.m. EDT), as the spacecraft performed its 12th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 7,900 miles (12,750 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a southern latitude of approximately 26 degrees. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-7.jpg This image of Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot and surrounding turbulent zones was captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The color-enhanced image is a combination of three separate images taken on April 1 between 3:09 a.m. PDT (6:09 a.m. EDT) and 3:24 a.m. PDT (6:24 a.m. EDT), as Juno performed its 12th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the images were taken, the spacecraft was 15,379 miles (24,749 kilometers) to 30,633 miles (49,299 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a southern latitude spanning 43.2 to 62.1 degrees. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran processed this image using data from the JunoCam imager. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/ Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran

Later, at Georgia State University, which she graduated from in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in math, her path was more circuitous. She switched her studies multiple times: from math to biology, then to early-childhood education. “I tell students the point of the first two years is to understand who you are as a person,” she said. In her third year, she got pregnant. (She married and is getting a divorce.) She decided to return to her math studies.

“With me becoming a new mother, my best friend said, ‘Why don’t you do what you love?’ ” Ms Jackson recalled of the time.

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Unsurprisingly, she said she was a fan of the The Big Bang Theory, Star Wars and anything science fiction-related. She finished her master’s degree in 2013 and began teaching college math and calculus. She has been working towards a doctorate in physics since 2017, but math is still what comes most naturally. “It’s like a recipe,” she said.

Ms Jackson says she expects to spend her internship studying solar flares and their effect on satellites and astronauts who work at the International Space Station or, later, will travel to Mars. “We use mathematical statistics to predict when and where these events will happen,” she said. “I am concerned about the impact they will have in the universe.”

The stipend she got from NASA was not enough to cover expenses, she said. So, the money from the GoFundMe campaign will cover the cost of travel, 10 weeks of lodging and $300 for a summer membership at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Houston for her daughter and $100 a week for food and gas.

She hopes the internship will lead to a fellowship at NASA so she does not have to teach lab classes anymore to make ends meet. For now, she said, she is just happy to be going to Houston for the summer.

“I didn’t think random strangers would help me,” she said. “I am still amazed.”