Please explain your job in a single sentence.
I am the information technology specialist of the Exploration Research and Technology (ER&T) Program supporting civil servants, contractors and commercial partners, satisfying their IT and communication needs.
What do you find most exciting about your job as IT specialist lead?
The most exciting thing that I have found in my new role is being able to interface with the many different aspects of ER&T program and assisting them in achieving their mission goals by supporting various unique requests.
What is a typical day like for you?
My days are consistently inconsistent. They vary from assisting a commercial partner rationalize an IT requirement, ordering products and services for a project, or providing IT expertise to a particular NASA resource board.
Was the work you did your first month at NASA anything like your current work?
The closest activity that could be comparable to my first month as an intern is that I am back working with commercial partners to utilize the center’s many assets.
What is your educational background and why did you choose to study those areas?
I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I used to work with my grandmother as a youth in her store selling fruits and vegetables. I thought I would grow up and take over the business when I got older and that a degree would help hone my business skills.
How do the era and place in which you grew up shape how you approach your work?
Growing up in South Florida in the ‘90s with siblings two, four, then 11 years apart, all I knew is that my father made things happen for us. We never wanted for anything and the funds were always on the kitchen table, even for the field trips we didn’t want to go to. I don’t take a single day working on center for granted since I know the effort that was put into getting me to this point in my life.
What motivated you to want to work for NASA?
My motivation came from needing to secure an internship to graduate from my university. As soon as I got off the phone informing me that I was accepted for the internship, I let my parents know. To this day, I still bring up my dad saying, “Isn’t NASA shutting down?” I truly didn’t know much about the space program at the time, but if they were going to offer me an internship, I was going to make the best of it. Six years later, I’m still learning something new every day.
Why does conducting research and developing new technology matter to you?
In order to continue advancing as a civilization, we have to put the time and effort into developing paths forward. If we stopped at the wheel and fulcrum, I certainly don’t believe we would be where we are today. Can you imagine still having to have a separate camera and phone with external antennas?
How do you think your NASA research or the agency as a whole benefits people on Earth?
There are so many NASA contributions to society that people constantly overlook the agency’s impact. I would highly recommend for all NASA employees even to check out the annual “Spinoff” publications to stay abreast of all the wonderful things the agency is doing.
Do you have any advice for people trying to foster innovation in the workplace?
Not all ideas will work out, but if it only remains an idea forever, it never will. Be open to feedback and collaboration to have your idea become a reality.