For Jasmin Moghbeli, becoming an astronaut is a childhood dream. Now, as a member of NASA's newest astronaut class, it could finally come true.

Moghbeli says her dreams of space travel started when she was growing up in Baldwin, New York, when she researched a sixth-grade book report on Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.

"We had to dress up like the person in class, and I had my little space outfit that my mom helped me make," Moghbeli says. "That was the first time I remember definitely saying 'hey, I want to be an astronaut' and started looking more into what I needed to do."

Most kids' dreams of space might peter out, but for Moghbeli, flight became a career. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering with Information Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she secured a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. Moghbeli went on to join the Marines, becoming a helicopter pilot — but always kept NASA in mind. Finally, this year she decided it was time to step up and apply.

"The first part is you just submit a resume," Moghbeli says. "So that part's a little underwhelming, you're like 'that's it?'"

She wasn't alone. NASA says it received 18,300 applications to join its 2017 astronaut class, a record. Of those submissions, the space agency picked just 12, including Moghbeli.

"When I first got the call, I could tell you, my hands were shaking afterwards and I could barely dial the numbers to call my parents to tell them," Moghbeli says.

Now that she's been selected, Moghbeli will have to go through two years of intense training to be able to work and survive in space. Once she's done, she'll be eagerly awaiting her first assignment. While she says she'd be happy doing anything, Mars is her top choice.