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I've had the luxury of working on four fantastic
teams that allowed me to be a test conductor

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on four test programs.

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First test program I worked on was the SSME,
Space Shuttle Main Engine, which was the primary

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propulsion system for it.

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After that I transitioned to the RS-68 Test
Program, which, you know, was the propulsion

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system for Delta IV.

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After I began my NASA career, my first assignment
was to the I-P-D, Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator

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Program, which was a technology demonstration
program with NASA and some corporate entities

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to demonstrate that we could develop and actually
implement a new engine operation cycle.

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That had never been done here before.

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And, from there I transitioned from... from
that to the AJ26 Program which was the propulsion

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system for Antares for Orbital Sciences.

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And, along the way I've gotten the chance
to work with a lot of great people and learn

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a lot of things from a lot of great people...
watch some people develop into things they

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maybe never thought they'd ever be able to
do.

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So, I've got a pretty good job.

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When you look at African-Americans you look
at a group of people that have overcome major

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odds and major obstacles and kept moving forward.

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And, they've never stopped, no matter what
the obstacle was to get us where we need to

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be.

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So, when I look back, and when I face some
small obstacles on a daily basis, you know,

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they may seem insurmountable, but in reality
compared to where we've already come from,

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they're nothing.

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My advice for any African-American youth was,
once you decide you want to work for NASA,

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or you want to be an engineer or you want
to be a doctor, whatever it is you want to

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be, make that your primary focus and don't
give up on it.

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You're going to hit obstacles along the way,
but don't give up on any of that.

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Yep, make that your primary focus and do whatever
it takes to get there.

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Working for NASA allows me to balance my family
life and my work life tremendously.

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When I'm at work, and you face the tremendous
challenges that we do, and we get to overcome

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them and work with a great group of people.