Arthur Fumarola is reaching for the stars.
A 2025 graduate of Brookdale Community College and current student at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Fumarola’s story showcases how persistence, time management, and goal-setting can open extraordinary doors, particularly an internship with NASA.
Fumarola’s academic and leadership journey is defined by his drive to keep improving himself and seizing opportunities.
“In high school, I knew I 100% needed to secure an internship before I transferred to a four-year school,” he says. “Then, after talking to one of my teachers, they mentioned that Brookdale had a special connection with NASA. So I decided then that I had to apply, and when I got an email saying I got the internship, I was beyond ecstatic.”
Hard Work and Determination Lead to High Honors
As a NASA intern, Fumarola has contributed to research analyzing how solar eclipses affect radio wave transmission, studying how fluctuations in the ionosphere impact shortwave communication. The opportunity came as a culmination of years of preparation and intentional effort.
While at Brookdale, Fumarola served as a computer science lab assistant and participated in a wide range of organizations, including the Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Engineering Student Association. He also earned a place in the school’s honors program and the S-STEM Scholars Program, all while maintaining the Dean’s List for three semesters.
In 2025, his academic excellence and leadership earned him national recognition as a finalist for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards for community college students in the United States.
Soft Skills and Goal-Setting Fuel Growth
Behind these achievements was a foundation of skills. Fumarola attributes his success to both technical expertise and human connection. He lists a range of technical programs he had to learn, including Python and Java, and also mentions the soft skills needed for growth.
“Skills I utilized were definitely communication and goal-setting,” he says. “I made sure I set up meetings to talk to almost all of my professors during my time at Brookdale… I made sure to see what opportunities the school had for internships, jobs, and study material. I always tried as hard as I could to get ahead and improve myself.”
Fumarola’s quest for securing strong internships has also contributed to his soft skill development, which is something the 2025 NSLS State of Higher Ed report demonstrated: with internships, students are more prone to strengthening those human skills as they interact and work closely with others in a real-world setting.
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Seeking Mentorships and Paying it Forward
Fumarola is quick to credit all the leaders around him for helping him succeed.
“A leader I look up to is every professor, educator, advisor, and counselor who has helped me along the way,” he says. “I cherish each and every one of them because they took time out of their lives to help me achieve all my current goals and helped to support my future ones.”
That appreciation for mentorship has inspired his own long-term goal of becoming both a data scientist and a teacher, a combination that reflects his dual passions for analytical discovery and helping others.
He plans to continue his education by earning his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Rutgers and eventually pursuing a master’s in special education.
Understanding the Importance of Time Management
For Fumarola, the NSLS has been a cornerstone of his leadership development.
“The NSLS helped me become a stronger leader by giving me great advice with the videos shown in the course each member takes,” he says. “Reflecting on the videos and writing allowed me to better understand and absorb the information given.”
He’s carried those lessons beyond the classroom, building a leadership philosophy centered on respect and time management.
“To me, leadership means respecting everyone, especially their time,” he says. “I believe the most important thing to people is their time, simply because we all have only a limited amount of it in our lives.”
Arthur’s Advice for Future Leaders
When it comes to advice, Fumarola shares a mantra passed down from his father, one that continues to shape his approach to success, reiterating the value he puts on time.
“Five minutes early is ten minutes late,” he says. “I believe being early to every event or job is really important to succeed because it shows you value someone's time and your own as well.”
As he continues his studies and research, Fumarola’s journey reminds us that leadership isn’t just about where you’re headed; it's about how you get there, the people you learn from, and the time you dedicate to your work and to the people around you along the way.
See how another NSLS member and leader in STEM is blazing a trail for future tech leaders.
