Post by swamprat on May 29, 2018 20:27:27 GMT
For young girls dreaming of the stars, come on in
Posted Apr 16 by Tiera Fletcher
Tiera Fletcher is a Structural Analysis Engineer at Boeing Aerospace in Huntsville, working on the NASA Space Launch System.
My name is Tiera Fletcher and I am a rocket scientist -- no, really.
America is on its way to Mars -- powered by an amazing team of people from all across the country, many of whom are gathering in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor for Space Symposium, the world's premiere meet up of space leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs.
It's the culmination of a new day for American space travel that is reflected across the workforce in Boeing, where I am a Rocket Structural Engineer helping build NASA's Space Launch System rocket to power deep space missions like the trip to Mars. Boeing's space team is increasingly diverse, a huge leap forward from the days when only certain kinds of people were thought to have the right stuff.
For me, it's more than ever seemed possible growing up in a small town in Georgia.
Driven by a passion for science, by age six, I was using whatever I could get my hands on to make model rockets and airplanes (pink, of course). While my classmates scrambled for recess, I chose math and the playground of my mind.
A supportive middle school science teacher taught me how the things we learned in class connected to the real world and urged all of us to develop our creativity and imagination. As we enter this new American space age, every student should have that kind of mentor, especially girls who sometimes get cut down when they step out of traditional lanes.
At first, I questioned if I should even apply to MIT, since only 13 percent of U.S. engineering jobs are held by women. But MIT changed my life, offering a chance to learn and work with leaders of aerospace academia and astronauts.
At a campus career fair, I met a recruiter from Boeing. I was amazed that he seemed to care as much about me as a person than as me as an engineer. He said that, in this business, values and who you are at the core matter - we talked as much about southern cuisine as engineering! For girls looking to move forward in engineering, it's a vital lesson - the "whole you" matters.
While some of my classmates were attracted to splashy marketing from other companies, I focused more on the family and team ethos of Boeing. That proved wise and like many female engineers, I have thrived in this collaborative team building environment.
Now I have the everyday adventure of participating in Boeing's unrivaled leadership in every aspect of space exploration. I get to help build on the amazing heritage that produced the Mercury capsule that carried John Glenn into orbit, the Apollo-era Lunar Rovers that carried our astronauts across the surface of the moon, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station.
Today, that means a chance to work with the team building the CST-100 Starliner, which will be the first private spacecraft to carry astronauts into orbit and engineers who are revolutionizing satellite technology. Other teams are strengthening the space station and developing the next generation of space outposts. And the centerpiece is our work building the SLS to send astronauts to Mars.
This is all possible in an environment that is committed to full participation and equal opportunity. The company has been making massive investments in STEM education to boost women in engineering.
As a kid I could only dream of building rockets. Now, as a part of the Boeing family, I get to help send astronauts to Mars while also propelling female engineers forward.
And for every other little girl out there dreaming of the stars, I say, the door is open - come on in!
www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/04/for_young_girls_dreaming_of_th.html
Posted Apr 16 by Tiera Fletcher
Tiera Fletcher is a Structural Analysis Engineer at Boeing Aerospace in Huntsville, working on the NASA Space Launch System.
My name is Tiera Fletcher and I am a rocket scientist -- no, really.
America is on its way to Mars -- powered by an amazing team of people from all across the country, many of whom are gathering in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor for Space Symposium, the world's premiere meet up of space leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs.
It's the culmination of a new day for American space travel that is reflected across the workforce in Boeing, where I am a Rocket Structural Engineer helping build NASA's Space Launch System rocket to power deep space missions like the trip to Mars. Boeing's space team is increasingly diverse, a huge leap forward from the days when only certain kinds of people were thought to have the right stuff.
For me, it's more than ever seemed possible growing up in a small town in Georgia.
Driven by a passion for science, by age six, I was using whatever I could get my hands on to make model rockets and airplanes (pink, of course). While my classmates scrambled for recess, I chose math and the playground of my mind.
A supportive middle school science teacher taught me how the things we learned in class connected to the real world and urged all of us to develop our creativity and imagination. As we enter this new American space age, every student should have that kind of mentor, especially girls who sometimes get cut down when they step out of traditional lanes.
At first, I questioned if I should even apply to MIT, since only 13 percent of U.S. engineering jobs are held by women. But MIT changed my life, offering a chance to learn and work with leaders of aerospace academia and astronauts.
At a campus career fair, I met a recruiter from Boeing. I was amazed that he seemed to care as much about me as a person than as me as an engineer. He said that, in this business, values and who you are at the core matter - we talked as much about southern cuisine as engineering! For girls looking to move forward in engineering, it's a vital lesson - the "whole you" matters.
While some of my classmates were attracted to splashy marketing from other companies, I focused more on the family and team ethos of Boeing. That proved wise and like many female engineers, I have thrived in this collaborative team building environment.
Now I have the everyday adventure of participating in Boeing's unrivaled leadership in every aspect of space exploration. I get to help build on the amazing heritage that produced the Mercury capsule that carried John Glenn into orbit, the Apollo-era Lunar Rovers that carried our astronauts across the surface of the moon, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station.
Today, that means a chance to work with the team building the CST-100 Starliner, which will be the first private spacecraft to carry astronauts into orbit and engineers who are revolutionizing satellite technology. Other teams are strengthening the space station and developing the next generation of space outposts. And the centerpiece is our work building the SLS to send astronauts to Mars.
This is all possible in an environment that is committed to full participation and equal opportunity. The company has been making massive investments in STEM education to boost women in engineering.
As a kid I could only dream of building rockets. Now, as a part of the Boeing family, I get to help send astronauts to Mars while also propelling female engineers forward.
And for every other little girl out there dreaming of the stars, I say, the door is open - come on in!
www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/04/for_young_girls_dreaming_of_th.html