"Nothing about my identity makes me any less capable of working in the government," Wegman tweeted alongside an image of themselves in a NASA uniform.

"When the trans military ban news came out, it really struck a chord with me," Wegman told BuzzFeed News. "I felt obligated. I felt scared that I was going to become even less understood or even more scrutinized as a nonbinary person using they/them pronouns."

Wegman worked in the web and media development department at NASA during their internship in Hampton, Virginia, which ended last December. This was the second NASA internship they've completed; now, Wegman is a senior Communications major at Ohio State University.

They hope to continue working with NASA after graduation this May, but the shutdown has forced them to look at other employment opportunities. "The shutdown has been really stressful," said Wegman, who says they currently unable to communicate with their mentors at NASA.