Holland Thrives in Human Resources Office at NASA Armstrong
Rene A. Holland’s family is from the Philippines and she grew up with a healthy respect for what life was like there and the opportunities she has in the U.S.
Holland, who is a human resources business partner at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, has experiences and cultural upbringing that emphasized being kind and providing different perspectives to the staff at the center. Working well with employees is one of many reasons she is recognized during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month in May.
Holland came to NASA Armstrong in February 2006, working as a contractor support specialist in the Research and Engineering Directorate and then in the Mission Support Directorate.
“From there I moved into Human Resources as a human resources assistant and I have been there ever since,” Holland said. “Currently, I am a Human Resources business partner working with directorates across the center in finding the best solutions for their staffing needs to meet mission goals.”
She has a philosophy about facing challenges.
“It is truly about overcoming challenges while being true to yourself and taking in any lessons that could be learned,” she explained.
Her mom is her greatest influence.
“My Mom came to the states from the Philippines in her mid 20s unaware of the differences in the cultures,” she said. “Seeing her courage and strength through life’s many hardships, I learned I could succeed at anything I put my mind to do. My cultural upbringing has taught me to appreciate all that I have and to be kind to people and take care of them like family.”
Education has always been important to Holland as a key to success in life.
“Although I didn’t finish college, I always strive to grow and learn anything and everything I could to get a better understanding of what my purpose was in my career and to also help others to grow in their careers.”
It is Holland’s experiences, culture and bright outlook that help her connect with people and excel at her work at NASA Armstrong.
“Working for NASA has been such an amazing experience for me,” she said. “We are like a family. Funny, my sister and my brother work for NASA. My sister is a contract specialist, and my brother is an aerospace engineer. Growing up in the Philippines, my mom learned about NASA in school. So, having all of her children work here has been a dream come true.”
