In February, I got an e-mail that I’d been hoping to receive for almost three months. It was from Estrategia Siglo XXI, a Costa Rican nonprofit organization that promotes science and technology, saying I’d earned a scholarship for United Space School in Houston. It made me extremely happy, and it began a long period of waiting for July 22.

In November, I was invited to apply for one of two scholarships to attend United Space School. I’d barely even heard of it, so I went online to find out what it was about, and I fell in love. It’s a program that invites teenagers from all over the world to Houston.

Those teens attend lectures on different space-related topics, go on field trips to amazing places such as the Space Center Houston and split into different teams to design a manned mission to Mars. I’m a huge space geek, so I just knew that I had to attend.

But first I had to send in my information to see if I got chosen by Costa Rica’s selection committee.

An essay, recommendation letters, an English exam and an interview later, I knew I was in the top six, but I was really nervous. I didn’t even allow myself to watch a video of the United Space School 2010 program I’d found online. I didn’t want to know how amazing it was if I wasn’t going to go.

After a long day of checking my e-mail over and over again, I got it. It was an e-mail with a subject along the lines of “results of the selection for the Space School scholarship.” I was expecting something more like “Congratulations!” or “Sorry! Better luck next time.” I read the most nerve-rackingly long e-mail of my life, but there it was: “You have been selected to obtain the scholarship and attend United Space School.” I went crazy with joy; I was ready for everything and anything.

To read the rest of this story please go to the CNN Blog.