by Maverick Brown

For many students, the hardest question senior year isn’t on a test. It’s “What comes next?”

Timothy Keyser, the writer’s uncle, didn’t have an answer at first either. “At first I wasn’t sure, but I’ve always loved space,” he said.

That interest eventually led him to West Virginia University, where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering. After completing a master’s degree, he applied to NASA, where he works today.

Keyser’s path took years of school. His mother, Fonda Keyser, found work that required far less formal education.

“I’m an at-home care worker. I take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” she said.

According to Fonda Keyser, getting started “didn’t take much.” Applicants need their home inspected and must meet certain medical requirements.

Their careers look nothing alike. One reaches for space, and the other stays close to home. But both started the same way, by figuring out what they cared about. For students still unsure about life after graduation, that may be the most useful first step.