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WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE AT STENNIS, THERE WEREN’T
THAT MANY WOMEN WHO WERE BREAKING IN THE FIELD,

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SUPPORTING THE TESTS, IN THE SUPPORT AREAS
THAT I STARTED OUT WITH.

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\hSO, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE I HAD TO DEAL
WITH A LOT OF TECHNICIANS WHO WERE REALLY

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SORT OF SURPRISED TO SEE A WOMAN SHOW UP IN
THAT ROLE.

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\hAS WELL AS BEING A YOUNG FEMALE, I WAS PROBABLY
IN MY EARLY TWENTIES AT THE TIME WHEN I STARTED.

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\hSO, I THINK THERE WAS SOME TIME WHEN I HAD
TO TRY TO GAIN THEIR TRUST IN MY KNOWLEDGE

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AND MY EXPERIENCE IN BEING AN ENGINEER.

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\hBUT I THINK AFTER MAYBE A COUPLE OF YEARS
OF WORKING OUT HERE AND WORKING WITH THE TECHNICIANS,

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ON A ONE TO ONE BASIS, WE DEVELOPED A GREAT
RELATIONSHIP, AND I HAVEN’T HAD ANY PROBLEMS

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SINCE THEN.

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\h

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I HAVE BEEN REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE STRONG
WOMEN WHO’VE BEEN REALLY INSPIRATIONAL TO

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ME IN MY CAREER.

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\hMAINLY, IT’S BEEN TEACHERS.

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\hI GUESS THE FIRST TEACHER I CAN DRAW INSPIRATION
FROM HAS BEEN MY AUNT WHO’S TAUGHT HIGH

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SCHOOL MATH FOR OVER FORTY YEARS.

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\hSHE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT ROLE MODEL FOR
ME, AND ALWAYS MADE MATH \hAPPROACHABLE TO

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ME AS A YOUNG KID.

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\hBESIDES THAT, THROUGHOUT ALL OF MY HIGH
SCHOOL CAREER, I ALWAYS HAD ALL FEMALE MATH

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TEACHERS, WHICH WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE AT THAT
TIME WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

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\hSO, MATH HAS ALWAYS BEEN APPROACHABLE TO
ME, AS A FEMALE.

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\hIT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT GIRLS COULD NOT
DO.

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THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY I HAD TO SEE A SSME
TESTING, WAS ONE NIGHT, PROBABLY TWO, THREE

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O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND I THINK IT WAS
THE THING THAT MOST INSPIRED ME TO STAY ON

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WITH NASA AND ENJOY THE THINGS THAT NASA DOES.

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\hIT WAS A TEST OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN
ENGINE…

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IT WAS PROBABLY FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SECONDS,
AND I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

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\hI MEAN THE NIGHT SKY LIT UP WITH THAT FLAME
FROM THAT ENGINE, AS WELL AS THE GROUND WAS

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VIBRATING.

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AND, I THINK I WAS HOOKED ON TESTING FROM
THAT MOMENT ON.

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I’VE ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR
SEVERAL CO-OP STUDENTS OR STUDENTS WHO WERE

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HERE IN OUR SUMMER INTERN PROGRAMS.

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\hAND, ODDLY ENOUGH, IT’S GREAT TO SEE SOME
OF THE STUDENTS WHO’VE GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE.

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\hI MEAN THEY…

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THEY…

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THEY’VE CONTACTED ME THROUGH LINKEDIN AND
SEE THAT THEY’VE ACHIEVED THEIR GOALS AND

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ALSO ARE SURPASSING A LOT OF THOSE GOALS.

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\hI CAN REMEMBER SOME OF THEM STARTING OUT
IN OUR SHARP PROGRAM.

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\hWE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED SHARP,
WHICH WAS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND THEY’VE

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GONE THROUGH…

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GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATED FROM
COLLEGE, AND NOW THEY’RE WORKING IN CORPORATE

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AMERICA IN AN ENGINEERING FIELD.

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\hSO, IT’S REALLY A GREAT PRIDE I HAVE FOR
SEEING THOSE WOMEN SUCCEED IN THEIR CHOSEN

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CAREERS.

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I’LL TELL ANY FEMALE WHO’S \hABOUT TO
ENTER THEIR CAREER AS AN ENGINEER OR A SCIENTIST

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OR ANY OF THE STEM RELATED FIELDS TO ALWAYS
DO YOUR BEST, ALWAYS BE HONEST AND ALWAYS

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STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.

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\hNEVER SEE YOURSELF AS DIFFERENT FROM ANY
OF YOUR MALE COUNTERPARTS, BECAUSE THE JOB

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IS A JOB FOR AN ENGINEER.