“I spent time in East Africa working for the Aga Khan Foundation, and I was the only communications person among 300+ staff. When I got there, I knew I was the odd one out, people around me shared a common sentiment, this expat has come here and she’s going be here for a year and impart her Western ways on us. She doesn’t know how things work here, so let’s deal with it and get this done.
“I had to prove my worth and show the value of communication. So, I decided if there’s only one of me and I can’t be out there in the field, I need to train people on how to do communications, basic communications. How to capture the story of a person, how to take a good picture, how to get a quote, or make people feel comfortable enough that they’re okay with getting their picture taken. I ended up conducting this communications workshop. It was a one-day thing because that’s all the time they could give me and there were over 200 people in the room. I was up there walking through the elements of a story, breaking it down for people whose first language was not English. And they started to understand, and I started getting back great anecdotes afterwards. Something had stuck and it was a one of the most memorable feelings of accomplishment.
“I really had to trust myself during this time. We always have some level of self-doubt, but if the end goal of what you’re trying to achieve is going to benefit you in the long run, you have to trust your gut and go with it. You have to step outside your comfort zone. That’s important for success in all aspects of your life, personal or professional.”
—Nilufar Ramji, Public Affairs Officer, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Image Credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz
Interviewer: NASA / Tahira Allen