Crew

Planetarium Crew

The Orange Coast College Planetarium is operated by a dedicated crew of student workers. It is our goal to provide a fun and educational experience to everyone who comes aboard for a cruise among the stars.

• History of the OCC Planetarium
• Planetarium Crew

Jessica Artinger

Planetarium Program Director

Jessica oversees day-to-day operations including dome operations, building oversight, visitor contact, exhibit design, outreach, and show programming. Jessica is a highly decorated alumna of OCC's Astronomy department and received her BS in Astrophysics with a minor in Geophysics and Planetary Physics from UCLA in 2019. At UCLA, she was the Lead Fabrication Engineer of the NASA-funded ELFIN CubeSat Mission and also helped organize the APS Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics with a focus on increasing participation of community college women. 

She received her MS in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Thermal and Fluids Engineering from Cal State Fullerton in 2023. Jessica has worked in the planetarium since January 2022 presenting and writing dome shows and she assumed the director role in June 2023. In her free time, she plays her French horn in community bands and orchestras throughout Orange County and Los Angeles. 

  (714) 432-5564

  jartinger3@occ.cccd.edu

Ian Pate

Project Coordinator

Ian is the lead coordinator for the Planetarium's outreach programs including field trips, STEM Explorers Saturday camps, and summer camps. He graduated with dual bachelor's degrees in astrophysics and political science from UC Santa Cruz in 2023. He's applying for master's programs in astronomy for Fall 2026.

Ian has worked in the planetarium since July of 2024. He spends his free time hiking, camping, stargazing, and cooking. Please feel free to direct questions about field trips and outreach events to him via email.

  ipate@cccd.edu

Rhiannon Graffio

Dome Technician

Rhiannon previously worked as a swim instructor working with ages 6 months-15 years. They started studies at OCC and transferred to UCI to continue studying biology. They have a focus on neuroscience and hope to work in various labs doing research on genetic diseases. At the Planetarium Rhiannon runs field trips, public educational shows, and laser shows, and they also code new shows in Digistar. Outside of work they enjoy drawing and jewelry making.

Student Employees

The planetarium strives to hire student workers to help run the day-to-day operations of the lobby and dome theater. We employee both STEM and non-STEM students, utilizing their strengths to not only add to the success of the planetarium, but be a place where they can grow professionally.

Presenters

Presenters lead field trips for K-12 students and deliver public shows for curious visitors, sharing their passion for astronomy. They also help manage the dome, write show scripts, and operate telescopes.

Joanna Jackson

Bio coming soon.

Holden Boomershine

Bio coming soon.

Christian Jeffreys

Christian is a current student here at OCC, studying Communication in order to transfer into the
University of California system. He grew up in Dallas, Tx, and has been living in California for 4 years. He
found his interest in space when he was a child, looking up and wondering what mysteries fill our
cosmos. This curiosity led him to pursue a tangent of terrestrial mysteries, becoming an avid
naturalist and explorer. He commonly finds himself out in the great outdoors, exploring the beauty
that our world has to offer. His hope is to relay that curiosity to our youth, leading him to pursue
roles in education after his studies.

Katherine Porter

Bio coming soon

Gift Shop Attendants

Our planetarium's gift shop is managed and staffed by student employees, many of whom are work-study students. These attendants play a pivotal role in enriching the visitor experience. They offer a carefully curated selection of astronomy and aquarium related merchandise and educational materials. Their dedication ensures that visitors can find meaningful souvenirs and support our planetarium's mission to promote science education.

Hannah Lund

Bio coming soon.

Jess Nguyen

Jess is a second year student at Orange Coast College. She will be transferring this upcoming fall and hopes to get into the University of Southern California or San Diego State University. She is a communications major here at OCC and wants to pursue a career in public relations or advertising in the entertainment industry. Jess also works on the social media page at the Planetarium and is a media marketing coordinator in one of OCC's many clubs, GeoAdventure. A fun fact about Jess is she loves stargazing even if she can not pinpoint any of the constellations!

Rodrigo Santos

Bio coming soon.

Nikolett Hoyt

Bio coming soon.

Daniella Castillo Esparza

Bio coming soon.

Joel Franco

Bio coming soon.

Elijah Elmore

Bio coming soon.

Aquarium Staff

The Dennis Kelly Public Aquarium at Orange Coast College is one of the cornerstones of the Marine Science Department. This versatile resource is a unique training and community education facility where students get hands-on experience working with a remarkably diverse collection of aquatic organisms. The OCC Aquarium is a student-run aquarium that features facilitated peer education. Meet our staff below! The OCC Aquarium also has countless student volunteers that help run school-aged tours.

Karina Matthews

Bio coming soon.

Bella Shulman

Bio coming soon.

Victor Dixon

Bio coming soon.

Emily Marcolini

Bio coming soon.

Kayden Begg

Bio coming soon.

Student Employment

Are you an OCC student interested in working at the Planetarium? We hire students as retail workers and docents for public hours, field trips, and special events. Hours are flexible around class schedules and extracurriculars, up to 19 hours/week during the semester. 

Applicants with experience in public speaking, working with children, and completed course work in astronomy will be preferred. 

Before applying, make sure to find out if you qualify for the Federal Work Study program (details below). 

Once you have completed your application please fill out our pre-interview questionnaire and email it to planetarium@occ.cccd.edu

For more general information on student employment, visit the Student Employment Program website or contact:

Edwina Recalde

Human Resource Coordinator

erecalde@occ.cccd.edu

Federal Work-Study

Federal Work-Study, also referred to as FWS, is one of the three major federal student aid programs from the U.S. Department of Education.  It is designed to provide part-time employment to students who have established significant financial need according to federal guidelines.  The federal government pays a percentage of the student's salary; the school pays the remainder.  FWS is part of the total financial aid package and is not intended to be the sole source of assistance.  Many students either seek a position related to their career objective or seek positions that offer skill development.  In either case, the FWS Program is intended to provide a balance between the interests of the student and the needs of the department.

In order to qualify, you must:

1. Complete your FAFSA application
2. You must accept your federal work-study award upon receiving
3. Must complete an online employment application
   • Include any employment or volunteer history you have
   • Award Letter confirming you have been awarded FWS for 2023-2024
   • Class schedule must be attached to the application

 

APPLY NOW!

Student Assistants

Student employment provides an opportunity to earn money and continue your education, to train with people who manage the day-to-day business of the institution you attend, and to combine your academic study with on-the-job experience.  Job opportunities under this program offer you temporary employment with the Coast Community College District.  Employment can range from summer jobs to positions that last as long as you are a student.  These employment opportunities can be related to your academic field of study, but do not need to be.

In order to qualify, you must be:

1. A student enrolled in a minimum of 12 units during Fall and/or Spring semester – must have 12 units in Spring to work during the summer and 12 units in Fall to work during intercession
2. Must complete an online employment application
   • Include any employment or volunteer history you have
   • Class schedule showing 12 units of enrollment must be attached to the application

3. Completion of FAFSA application (international students excluded from this requirement)

 

 

APPLY NOW!

Former Planetarium Crew Members

• Valerie Arriero (Project Coordinator)
  Valerie helped oversee day-to-day operations, coordinated STEM events for students in elementary school to community college, and field trip coordination and scheduling. She is a first-generation and a community college transfer student. In 2020, Valerie received a BS in Applied Mathematics & Statistics with a double minor in Physics and Astronomy from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She then continued onto a MS program at California State University, Los Angeles for Physics and defended her thesis in 2022. Valerie left the Planetarium to continue her higher education in the Fall of 2024 by pursuing a PhD in Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. During her time at CSULA, she earned a year-long fellowship at NASA JPL researching the importance of clouds in atmospheres of exoplanets. She hopes to become an exoplanet cloud specialist in the future!
  
  Valerie also does STEM mentoring through social media, where she also journals about her journey through her academic career. She strives to be the role model she needed when she was younger and navigating academia.
• Annah Brice (Presenter and Social Media)
  Annah was an Italian major at OCC and transfered to UC Berkeley in 2024. Annah was with the planetarium from January to June 2024 and was presenting shows, as well as creating social media content. She took part in the OCC study abroad program in Florence, Italy, in the summer of 2023 and was awarded the OCC study abroad scholarship in her program. She is very enthusiastic about astronomy and stellar photography, as well as the history of the constellations in the night sky. In the future, Annah plans to travel the world teaching English as a second language.
• Lily Ei (Presenter)
  Lily was an astrophysics and engineering student at OCC, originally from Myanmar. She joined the crew in November 2023. She spent almost two years volunteering to teach english to marginalized children who were affected by the unstable political environment in her country. Lily has done competitive debate for the OCC forensics team and served as a board member for the Rocketry Club. She also served as the Astronomy Club’s treasurer and eventually became a Student Senator in the Associated Students of OCC. She’s been volunteering to help out with public telescope nights since 2023 and is always ecstatic to talk space. Lily spent her high school years preparing to go to art school before she discovered she could build rockets (she only paints in her free time now). Lily transferred fall of 2025 to UC Irvine where she is studying Mechanical Engineering. 
• Lisa Huynh (Presenter)
  Lisa was an astrophysics student at OCC and was with the planetarium from April 2023 to June 2024. She served as both Secretary and President of the Astronomy Club on campus. Lisa is an NCAS Alumni who participated in the 2022 NCAS Missions 1 and 2, where she competed with a team in an engineering design challenge as the Lead Test Engineer. She has assisted in programming a Lunar Satellite for NASA's GLEE program and is currently working on astrophysics research to present at the OCC Research Symposium. 
• Asa Johnson (Gift Shop)
  Bio coming soon
• AJ Juarez (Presenter)

  AJ was an astrophysics student at OCC and worked at the planetarium from March 2023 until May 2025. AJ wrote the monthly newsletter, owing to their extensive journalism background. They are an accomplished public speaker, winning first place in the Orange County YouthSpeak Speech Contest in 2020. AJ was president of the Astronomy Club and assisted in programming a lunar satellite for GLEE. As a first-generation college student, they strive to inspire Latinx participation in STEM. AJ was accepted to UC Berkeley's prestigious 2024 ASSURE summer research program and in 2025 they were a summer Research Assistant at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, WV. AJ transferred in the fall of 2025 to UC Berkeley where they are studying Astrophysics with the eventual goal of becoming an astrophysics professor and science communicator.

• Kara Kanetis (Presenter)
  Kara worked for the Planetarium in 2022 until she transferred to the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she studies Astrophysics and Computer Science. Kara took her Planetarium skills with her and now works for the University of Hawaii at Manoa's mobile planetarium!
• Crystal Mai (Gift Shop)
  Bio coming soon.
• Cher Scarlett (Presenter)
  Bio coming soon.
• Connor Schwengel (Presenter)

  Connor studied astrophysics at OCC. Joining the Planetarium crew in November 2023 until February 2025, Connor used his experience in photography and graphic design to help create graphics for the Planetarium in addition to his regular duties of presenting shows and leading field trips. He has substantial experience working with children through his volunteer work at K-12 schools. Connor transferred fall of 2025 to UC Santa Cruz where he studies Astrophysics and eventually would like to become an astrophysics professor.

• Sander Shin (Gift Shop)
  Sander was a Biology major at OCC and transferred fall of 2025 to UC Davis where he's earning his BS in Animal Science. After receiving a Bachelor's degree, he plans to get into UCD’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Field of specialty still has not been decided yet. Sander worked in the planetarium’s gift shop from January 2024 until December 2025 and he also volunteered at OC Animal Care center. In the future, Sander plans to become a veterinarian as well as having a backyard cat sanctuary for stray cats and animals needing temporary shelter and food.
• Will Vu (Gift Shop)
  Will was a Business Economics student at OCC and worked at the planetarium form November 2022 to June 2024. He is a first generation college student and transfered to UCI to finish his bachelors in Business Economics. Will was a part of OCC’s honor program where he was the director of marketing for Alpha Beta Gamma, the business honor society. He also served as a student senator with the Associated Students of Orange Coast College, a governing body that is involved with writing and passing resolutions, student government policies, and approving financial allocations to OCC clubs and programs. After completing college Will plans on pursuing a career in business analytics. 
• Trevor Weiss (Project Coordinator)

  Trevor assisted with show scripts, public outreach, coordinating events, and managing day-to-day operations. He was an astrophysics student at OCC, where he worked on several projects, including research in galaxy morphology, programming Lunar Satellites for the GLEE mission, and mentoring other OCC students on research projects. He's presented his galaxy research at multiple conferences, including the American Astronomical Society Conference, where he and his research team were honorably recognized for the Chambliss Award. Trevor left to continue his education, transferring to California State University, Long Beach to get a BS in Physics. He currently researches with a team on expected asteroseismology detections of red giant stars, for the upcoming NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. He currently has two papers in prep for both his work in galaxy morphology and asteroseismology and anticipates applying for Astrophysics PhD programs in the Fall of 2025.

  Trevor continues to stay involved with community outreach, primarily with his involvement with CSULB’s mobile planetarium team, where they do planetarium shows at schools in the LA and OC area.

• Melanie Zarzur (Presenter)
  Bio coming soon