This is a little space for me to write about my professional career. At the moment I'm a Spacecraft Test Lead for a Micro Satellite Mission intended to orbit and research Mars. Here's a little bit about me.
Around my junior year in high school, I still wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I was trying different things out and found out I loved the FRC Robotics team. I loved the rapid design, prototyping and product development that went into the robot and discovering and fixing problems on the go. Around this time I knew I wanted to do engineering and a 'physical' one at that. Also around this time, I fell in love with space. I watched and re-watched documentaries of the Apollo missions, Voyager and several other NASA programs. It started to come to me that this felt like the only thing worth doing to me. Our little mud ball is perfectly adequate but as a part of human and American nature, I believe we're destined to push boundaries and explore the unknown.
I got my Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech and graduated cum laude in 2019. I was involved in several research programs including the research of a naval railgun and a generic small satellite development. I was also involved in several extra curricular programs like the Ultimate Frisbee team, a fraternity and College Mentors for Kids.
Today, I work in Integration and Test. I'm lucky to have a job where I get to work hands on with hardware and spend full days inside a spacecraft! I also have experience with python and web development through django. But most important, I have experience with learning new things that I'm uncomfortable with and demonstrating success in those endeavors. I also value my commitment to teamwork and clear communication.
I've also recently finished pursing my Master's Degree in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia. *Gasp*! A hokie at UVA? Yes it's true! It's a unique program where we're learning about the systems approach - undertaking a thorough understanding of what the problem is, defining what success would look like, what metrics define that success and the deployment of that solution. This degree also features courses in probability/statistics, risk analysis, optimization and data analysis, all classes that I feel will be helpful no matter what I do.
At the moment, I'm happy to be working in the space industry, but by no means do I feel 'locked in'. I look forward to whatever challenges I will encounter in my career.