Representation of women in engineering and management roles is critical. I’m proud to work for L3Harris, which supports a career with a dual path that utilizes both my technical expertise and leadership qualities so I can enhance representation. As a woman in leadership within our space business, I strive every day to be the manager and mentor that I needed when I was younger for the sake of my peers, my team and future generations of girls in STEM. As I reflect on my career, there are things I wish I could go back to tell my younger self.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been living life at a full sprint. Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’ve realized we must take time to reflect and acknowledge where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. If we don’t occasionally pick our heads up to reflect and recognize our accomplishments, time will fly by and our passion for what we do may burn out.
One summer, I found my peace while reflecting as my dad and I watched a meteor shower. As I stared up at the night sky, I was met with a rush of memories from chasing meteors with my mom in the middle of the night as a child, to my college years parked at the airport late at night watching planes take off and land. These moments allowed me to remember why I worked so hard to follow my dreams.
Aerospace has always been a part of who I am, but I was tested along the way. Some will encourage you to take the path of least resistance, question your priorities or call you “career-obsessed.” Your passion may cause your circle to shrink, but the people that understand and support your dreams become an even more important part of your life. Our world is stunning, and each person is unique and has the opportunity to make it even better. Different factors may try to force you into a box throughout your life, but you have the power to resist. Step outside of that box because you only get one story to write.
A critical lesson I’ve learned is that there is no right time to find your groove. When I was in high school, everyone seemed to have it all figured out. They were confident in which college they’d attend, their major and even possible careers! Despite taking longer to figure it out for myself, now I’m exactly where I always wanted to be. Life will fall into place when it’s supposed to, and it’s never too late to make your dreams your reality.
As an adult, it’s common to think back to childhood memories only to realize that our perspective has changed. Everything is huge through a child’s eyes. This is the reason I’m so passionate about space. It’s still larger than life, and we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of what’s possible. In addition to space exploration and finding answers to longstanding questions about our universe, we use cutting-edge technology to protect national security. Now when I look up at the night sky, I know my hard work has been worth it because we’re making history. I’m proud to be a woman in aerospace making an impact on our world and among my peers, team and future generations of women in STEM.
