Meet Raylynne Perez - Promotions Assistant/ Screening Host & Social Media Editor for the Houston Film Fanatics for Clear Channel Radio

Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with Evan's Blue)

Raylynne and I go way, way, way back, all the way back to our high school days at Clear Lake High School. Another Y2Ker...LOL! Raylynne was and still is one of my closest friends today. We had our click, which consisted of Raylynne, Claire (Baby Spice was her nickname back then), Amanda and myself. We always had good times when we were all together. We all did the senior musical together (Carousel) and our prom consisted of us and our dates. I won't bore you with the pictures. Fun, fun times is all I can! Raylynne has one of the coolest jobs. She is the Promotions Assistant/ Screening Host & Social Media Editor for the Houston Film Fanatics for Clear Channel Radio. Prior to her promotion, she worked promotions for 94.5 The Buzz. If you are or have been a Houstinion, you know that that is our alternative and rock station, and MY favorite radio station. No wonder Raylynne and I got along so well. Read about Raylynne below!




Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with
Wes of Puddle of Mudd)

1. Name: Raylynne Perez

2. City and State: Spring, TX

3. What is your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)
Bachelor Degree in Applied Design Visual Arts from UHCL 
Associate Degree in Commerical Art from San Jac
4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates) Web design, Advertising Design, lots of photoshop a nddigital imaging courses and plenty of English writing courses.

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken) The most challenging classes were things like the computer animated design, because you were always doing group projects, so it was a lot of learning how to use everyone's strengths to their fullest extent and get the most from your projects by the deadlines.

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put “NA”)
N/A

7. What company do you currently work for?
Clear Channel Radio

8. What is your job title?
Promotions Assistant/ Screening Host & Social Media Editor for the Houston Film Fanatics (HFF)

9. What are your day to day tasks?
Setting up contests, talking with listeners, working movie screenings, managing the Facebook page for HFF, as well as, handling the prize giveaways on the regular clear channel websites (Sunny, Buzz, arrow, etc) for HFF, plus about a hundred other things that could come up at the drop of a hat.

10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer?
I work mostly independently, which I prefer, since I am kind of picky as to how I like things done.

Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with a

co-worker and Adam Gontier of

3 Days Grace)

11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job?
You have to be organized and punctual. When you have clients paying thousands of dollars for your time, you need to be there when they ask you to and have everything ready to go. You need to be good an multi-tasking, thinking on your feet and public speaking. At any given screening, I am speaking to crowds of 200-500 people so you need to be comfortable with that and confident, because it shows.

12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?
My former boss was sort of a mentor for me. He showed me the best way to get my job done and since I learned that, I haven't looked back. I have adjusted and changed a few things over the years to improve my performance and make the most of my work.

13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength?
I am hard working and confident.

14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?
I can be very picky when I work about how things should be done, which I have a hard time turning off when it comes to having to let others handle certain things for me.

15. What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of? HFF right now is my biggest accomplishment. I have always been passionate about movies, and now I have finally gotten the opportunity to create something that is all about promoting movies. It has given me the chance to interview actors, meet tons of great people and attend events I used to dream about. It is still growing, but everyday is better than the last. I created and built that following, so I am very proud of it. Three of us started HFF and now there are just two of us left, and even with losing that one person we are still growing and expanding more and more everyday.

16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Work, go to the movies, travel as much as I can, read, hang out with my family and play video games. (Yes I am a total game nerd).

17. What did you want to be when you were a child?
A casting director or a movie promoter.

18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?
I would like to switch places with a director for a day. I have done extra work and seeing films from the other side is so amazing to me. It would be fun to be the person who gets to create these amazing shows.

19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field?
Don't be afraid to start at the bottom. Things like working in the media are almost more about being in the right place at the right time than having a big degree. If that is what you want, do whatever you have to to get your foot in the door. Not saying that you shouldn't go to college, because you should; however, try to find a way to juggle both. Don't be afraid to speak up for what you want.

Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with

Dinesh D'Souza - Writer and Director of

2016: Obama's America

Meet Jennifer Clark - Assistant Director of Student Life for the Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLICE) Program

Photo Credit: Jennifer Clark

I've known Jennifer from my days as a grad student at the University of Houston - Clear Lake (UHCL). I was an active participant in many student organizations on campus. I worked closely with Jennifer in the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Sigma Alpha Pi, honors society. The year that I joined was the founding year for the UHCL chapter, also serving as the Events Coordiantor. It was exciting to be a part of something that took off and is continually growing on campus, thanks to Jennifer's excitement, dedication and commitment to the students. Some exciting new: in Fall 2014, UHCL will become a full 4 year university from a higher level Bachelor's and post grad university, which means that Jennifer will have more students to help guide in having a sucessful, , memorable and well-rounded college experience.  Read about Jennifer below!

Photo Credit: Jennifer Clark

1. Name: Jennifer Clark

2. City and State: Houston, TX

3. What is your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)

• M.S. Education (College Student Personnel) from Miami University, OH (2002)
• B.S. Human Services (Mental Health/Counseling) from California State University, Fullerton (1999)
• A.A., Citrus College (1996)

  

4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates)
Human Development, Cognitive/Social Development, Psychology, Education, Student Development Theory, Organizational Leadership, Counseling

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken)
Statistics, Research Methods.  I developed a mental block when it came to mathematics when I was in high school. I always loved subjects like English, History, Music – basically, anything Humanities related.  I lacked patience for math and science.  I believe I sold myself short.  When I first started college, I was a musical theatre major and was in a program that was heavily concentrated on music, vocal performance, acting and dance. This was a three year program and I put off college-level math as long as I could.  When I started taking my general education courses so that I could complete my Associate’s degree and transfer to Cal State Fullerton, I enrolled in the starter course for math, even though I had tested higher.  I had never learned how to properly study math, and I wanted to learn correctly.  I applied the study skills I’d developed for my other courses that helped me to be successful (mostly, a lot of note-taking and summarizing chapters and making flashcards for myself), and also forced myself to do more than was necessary.  Most math books have answers in the back of the book for some of the questions.  I made sure I practiced by working through the sample questions, and the questions that I could check my work on.  I gained confidence in my math skills, and I graduated with a 3.92 overall GPA when I finished my B.S. at Cal State Fullerton.  My particular major (Human Services/Psychology) required a Psychology Statistics course, and while I haven’t used a ton of what I learned since my career took a different path, I occasionally analyze statistics when I develop my annual report to show the effectiveness of our programs.

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put “NA”)
In undergrad, at Cal State Fullerton, I started off as a Psychology major.  I soon learned that it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind – my desire was to be a counselor.  I found out about the Human Services major from a student co-worker. Human Services combined what I loved about Psychology (understanding behavior and motivation) and also taught me to hone my counseling skills.  At the same time I was completing my studies, I discovered a career path into Student Affairs.  I worked on campus in the New Student Information Center, gave campus tours, and was an Orientation Leader year-round.  I was given opportunities to attend conferences for higher education student affairs professionals, and I found my calling.  When it came time to do fieldwork/internship for my major, I wanted to gain more experience with student programming.  I had an internship with the Women’s Center/Counseling Center (at Fullerton, these offices were combined), and I also had a year-long internship with the Fullerton First Year program, serving as an FFY mentor.  As an FFY mentor, I co-taught a First Year seminar course with a faculty member and a student affairs staff member, and provided one-on-one advising to more than 25 freshmen.  Additionally, I worked for the College of Human Development and Community Service (HDCS) as an enrollment manager, and visited community colleges to represent our College during College Fairs.   When I went to graduate school at Miami University, my assistantship/internship was with the Student Activities office, and I was responsible for coordinating Miami’s annual student leadership conference, advised a leadership peer mentors group, and coordinated the campus cable channel.  I also did an internship teaching a Career Development class, as well as co-facilitated a Leadership class for one of their living/learning communities at Miami. During the summer between my two years in graduate school, I returned to Cal State Fullerton’s HDCS and designed a Student Success program to assist academic probationary and at-risk students, as well as continued to help with enrollment management.

7. What company do you currently work for?
University of Houston – Clear Lake

8. What is your job title?
Assistant Director of Student Life for the Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLICE) program

9. What are your day to day tasks?
I am primarily responsible for coordinating all aspects of our SLICE program, which includes marketing, recruiting presenters and recruiting students to participate in our programs, planning an Annual Student Leadership Conference (open to college students all over Texas. We usually average attendance of 325 or more per year.)  I am also responsible for designing and facilitating our annual 3-day Student Leadership Retreat for forty students, held in the Fall semester.  I coordinate our Fall and Spring Leadership Workshop Series, and also create and teach several of the workshops for that series. Last year, I launched a week-long Emerging Leaders Academy for new students.   I advise and develop the Executive Council for our UHCL student chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, which has had more than 3000 students join its organization since Spring 2007.  SLICE is the campus clearinghouse for volunteerism both on-campus and in the community, so we communicate with local non-profit service organizations to find out what volunteer needs they have and then communicate this information to our students.  We host a Community Service Fair in the Fall semester, featuring 25 plus non-profit organizations; we coordinate a UHCL Day of Service in the Spring and work with student organizations to plan service projects all over Houston and Galveston.  I also oversee our Servant Leader Scholar Program, which recognizes participation in leadership development programs and community service performed.  Additionally, I am part of the Student Life Office team and provide support for office-wide programs, such as Student Government Association, Student Organizations, Chili-Cook Off, New Student Orientation/Programs, Student Leadership Banquet, etc.  Since my programs are seasonal, no day is exactly the same.  I am always planning details for an event in the future.  Daily tasks include communicating with students, faculty, staff, and the community; problem-solving; meeting with students one-on-one; supervising two student assistants for SLICE and making sure they have what they need from me to successful complete their work.  I participate in other campus committees and attend meetings.  We are currently gearing up for having our first group of first-time freshmen on campus, so I am also researching and benchmarking four-year leadership development programs (classes, portfolio programs) to design curriculum and create a proposal to implement phase 1 by Fall 2014.  I also have to assess all of my programs, so we have students complete evaluation forms, and that data has to be calculated and analyzed.

10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer?
I work both independently and in a team environment.  I am given a lot of autonomy in my role, since I am pretty much the Director of the SLICE program.  I occasionally receive directives from our AVP of Student Services (such as developing the First Year program for leadership, or researching grant opportunities), or from my boss, the Director of Student Life (who also oversees the Coordinator of Student Activities and Organizations, and all the other functions of the Student Life Office.)  As Assistant Director, I assist him where-ever needed, and I support the other programs that come out of our office, whether it is attending a Broomball Tournament with our Fitness Zone – Recreation and Wellness Coordinator, staffing an information table during Student Organizations Expo, presenting a workshop during New Student Orientation – we work as a team to deliver these large programs to our student body.

11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job?
The technical, or “formal” answer to this question is an understanding and knowledge of student development theory and also it’s practical application.  My job requires a master’s degree in higher education/student development. You must know how to create a programming budget, how to appeal to students, staff and faculty to recruit their participation, program design, educational pedagogy, communication (written and verbal), conflict management and resolution (especially when working with a team of student officers in an organization).  You also need to know how to be resourceful, both financially and in terms of always keeping an eye on trends in leadership development and higher education.  I attend conferences around the country and take advantages of workshops for Leadership Educators and those who work with Service Learning programs.  I network with colleagues in the same field and we share ideas and strategies.  Additionally, a successful Student Affairs practitioner is an educator, a mentor, a counselor, a supervisor, a colleague, a team-player, and sometimes, you have to be a miracle worker (squeezing rocks to find money to pay for things when you don’t have much of a budget.)  We have learned to be very creative and resourceful so that we can provide high quality experiences for a low-cost, and I believe that starts with high quality people.

12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?
I have had many mentors throughout my life.  They have been teachers, supervisors, professional leadership speakers I’ve befriended in my years of coordinating leadership conferences.  I have learned so much from each and every one of them that I could fill pages just talking about them.  However, for the purpose of this blog, I will talk about my high school showchoir and journalism advisor, Richard Kinzler, or “Mr. K.”  I was fortunate to have Mr. K as a teacher for all four years of high school.  I was on the newspaper staff my Freshman year, and while he never took freshmen on staff, my junior high school newspaper teacher made a good case for me.  Half of the upperclassmen on staff were also in show choir, and they all seemed to really enjoy being around Mr. K.  I was curious, and I volunteered for extra assignments and stayed after school to help with paste-up. On a whim, I auditioned for show choir at the end of my freshman year, and I made the group, which meant that I had at least two classes every semester with Mr. K.  I became Features editor, then Editor-in-Chief of the school paper, which meant that I was ALWAYS at school, and always working next to Mr. K.  And, because I was in show choir and we had weekly rehearsals and we choreographed our own routines, Mr. K’s classroom and office became my home away from home.  Mr. K worked harder than anyone I’d ever known.  He arrived at school before sunrise, and worked well until after sunset.  He was there on weekends making sure we rehearsed for competitions and shows, and to make sure we put out a quality newspaper.  He was like a surrogate father to many of my peers who found solace at school as an escape from a broken home.  He was counselor and confidante.  He got upset, and he held us to high standards, and we wanted to meet those standards because we wanted to make him proud. He gave us his entire life. He was not married, he did not have children – we knew we were his children.  He passed away a year and a half ago, and I flew home to California for his memorial service. It was held in an old large cathedral in Pomona.  Former students spanning more than 30 years of his career came to his service, and many of us came from out of state.  Mr. K literally saved lives.  So many of his students have credited him with providing them with that safe space when they might have gone down a path into gangs or drugs.  Some did fall onto those paths, but Mr. K helped them to find something positive to focus their lives around.  Mr. K helped me to find my voice, to believe in myself. He gave me responsibility. I was a shy, quiet, insecure 13 year old when I met him.  Other show choirs hired professional choreographers to stage flashy dance numbers for their competitions, but Mr. K knew that if we created it ourselves, we would learn more and we would develop pride in ourselves and a strong work ethic. 

I have been in student affairs since 1997, and I have worked in my current position since 2002.  I enjoy rich fulfilling relationships with my college students, mostly because of what I learned from Mr. K.  I don’t mind the long hours, coming to work on weekends, staying until 10pm or later at night, because I’m investing in people.  I believe that people, if given the chance and responsibility to create and serve, that they can transform themselves and others in the process. Mr. K transformed me.

13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength?
I believe my greatest strength is my desire to continue learning and growing.  I am like a sponge – I collect information and knowledge and ask myself how I can pass on this awareness to others.  I am a very committed and passionate person, and my students that I am blessed to work closely with, know that I have a blast when I’m with them.  Whether we are discovering our Strengths on a three-day leadership retreat, doing a SWOT analysis of our team’s performance from the previous semester, or just chatting one-on-one with a student for an hour in my office about their goals and aspirations or whatever is on their mind.

14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?
I probably have a tendency to do TOO much.  In the past couple of years, I have felt more run down, and last year, I had a few health setbacks.  I have to remind myself to take time for myself, because if I do not, I stop being effective.

15. What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?
I have built SLICE from the ground up. When I first came to UHCL over ten years ago, the Student Life Office hosted an annual student leadership conference and offered a few workshops for student organization officers, but did not have a formalized leadership development program that was open for everyone.  Through trial and error, I believe that I have created a very successful program on-campus.  However, I would say my proudest accomplishment is my students.  Last summer, we hosted our first ever week-long Emerging Leaders Academy, and on the first night, we hosted a panel of alumni who had gone through SLICE programs and served as student leaders in many different capacities during their time at UHCL.  This panel consisted of students I have worked with since 2002.  To hear them speak with great love and pride about what they learned at UHCL, and especially for the connections they made through SLICE, filled me with such a sense of gratitude that God has placed me here to do what I do.  Every day I am inspired by our students and our alumni.  I learn so much from them, and am inspired by their stories of courage and the obstacles they have overcome. I’m inspired by the causes they choose to pursue.

16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
I love music, theatre, arts and crafts, gardening, spending time with my 10 year old dachshund (Bridget), and spending quality time with my amazing friends and family.  As a former musical theatre major, I really enjoy performing and being involved with a production, even if I’m not onstage myself.  At the moment, I’m directing several monologues for UHCL’s 5^th Annual benefit production of The Vagina Monologues, and this year, I have the delightful privilege to perform one of my favorite monologues from the show.  I enjoy being involved in things that bring joy to others.  I’ve recently discovered a love for cooking!

17. What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be a writer.  I wanted to be a newspaper reporter.  I wanted to play “Evita” or Mary Magdalene in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”.  I wanted to be in the Mickey Mouse Club (the 70's group with Lisa Welchel from Facts of Life.) 

18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?
I really don’t think I would want to… I LOVE my job.  But, it might be fun to be a home decorator on an HGTV show like “Design on a Dime”.  I love that stuff!

19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field?
I didn’t even know my field existed when I started college.  Student Affairs can encompass so many different parts of college life. You can run a Residence Hall, teach First Year seminars, plan New Student Orientation programs, work in Student Activities and do all the fun stuff like bring in bands for concerts. You can plan service projects for the community. You can advise students on what courses they should take for their major and for their career.  You can lead groups.  You can advise student organizations or student government.  If you go into a career in Student Affairs, you have to have the heart for it.  You have to have a genuine love for helping other people to succeed.  This isn’t a career you go into to become rich.  You have to be willing to be flexible with your time. This isn’t a 9-5 job, and every day is different (which is actually the appeal for me.)  What I may not take home in my paycheck at the end of the month, I know that the satisfaction and meaning my job/career gives me more than makes up for it.  I know many people who make six figure incomes who are miserable.  I still pinch myself that I even get paid to do what I do, because I have such a blast doing it.  I work in a very positive environment, surrounded by positive people who are determined to help others be successful.  We celebrate each other.  What could be better than that?    If you want to go into Student Affairs, I say take advantage of everything your college has to offer. Volunteer for committees, be a resident advisor, be a peer mentor or orientation leader. Diversify your experience.  I went into Student Affairs thinking I would be in charge of New Student Orientation, because that was my introduction to the field, but I discovered leadership programs and it has been extremely fulfilling. Keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to take the plunge.

Meet Sheena Mumford - Transportation Fleet Manager for Schneider Nation

Photo Credit: Sheena Mumford

Sheena and I graduated together in 2000 (Y2K baby!...LOL) from Clear Lake High School. Thank goodness for social media because without it, we wouldn't have reconnected after finishing high school. Prior to her current position as Transportation Fleet Manager, Sheena served overseas, as a truck driver, in Iraq. Thank you Sheena for all that you have done for our country. Read about Sheena below!


Photo Credit: Sheena Mumford

1. Name - Sheena Mumphord

2. City and State - Houston, TX

3. What is your educational background?
I have 40hrs complete from TSU, San Jacinto South Campus and University of the Incarnate Word online. (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)

4. What types of courses does your degree require?
Philosophy , computer literacy, history

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges?
Philosophy there was a lot of reading of very dry material. I just pushed through it and got it done.

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school?  If so, where did you intern or co-op?
N/A

7. What company do/did you currently work for?
Schneider National

8. What is/was your job title?
Transportation Fleet Manager

9. What are/were your day to day tasks?
Schedule coordinate the day to day activities and routes for 18 wheeler drivers.

10. Do/Did you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer? 
I work in a team environment and it's what I prefer.

Photo Credit: Sheena Mumford

 11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job?

Very organized , good under pressure, ability to adapt to constant change.

12. What is it like working in a predominantly male environment? What are some of the struggles you faced?
I love it. You constantly have to push yourself to be the best.  I've found that the general belief is it's OK for a guy to be average at a job but when a women does a male dominated job she has to be exceptional.

13. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?
Yes. I was taught always be able to adapt to change.

14. What do you believe to be your greatest strength?
I'm great under pressure.

15. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?
I'm a perfectionist. I often spend many brain cells reworking an issue in the allotted time to=
make sure it's correct.

16. What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?
I spent 84 months in the Army and of that, 47 of those months were in a combat zone. As a truck diver on active duty, I was deployed in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006 and 2007. From 2010 to 2011, I was deployed to a city called Al Nasarah. I have driven over a million miles overseas. Keeping my sanity under the most horrible conditions, as well as maintaining the mental stability of my subordinates by reassuring them we would all make it home.

17. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
 I love to play poker pool and call of duty.

18. What did you want to be when you were a child?
A truck driver

19. If you could switch professions with someone else, what would it be and why?
The Secretary o Defense so that I could efficiently use the US Military.

20. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field?

Go for it and be better than the best. You have to be above average doing the same thing in order to get the same respect of the most horrible man. Totally worth it once you get over the initial disrespect.

Photo Credit: Sheena Mumford

Meet Jennifer Scott Williams - Communications and Tracking (C&T) Lead for NASA Johnson Space Center

Photo Credit: Jennifer Scott Williams

I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer when I first started working in the Education Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX. I dubbed Jennifer the nickname INCO from when she worked as a Flight Controller in the Mission Operations Directorate. INCO is the NASA acronym for the Instrumentation and Communications Officer. Jennifer completed a 6 month rotation as the (Acting) Minority University Research and Education Program Manager, as well as my NASA Lead. Jennifer is one of the coolest people I have ever met, and I am glad to call her a friend. I was not only fortunate enough to have Jennifer in my personal life, but also as a mentor in my professional life. Lastly, Jennifer is the inspiration behind the Flight Director illustration in my book. Read about her below!

Photo Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center (jsc2005e25484)

 

1. Name - Jennifer Scott Williams

 

2. City and State - Pearland, TX

 

3. What is your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)

a.  BS Mathematics – Spelman College

b. BS Electrical Engineering – The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

c. Master of Electrical Engineering – The University of Houston

 

4. What types of courses does your degree require?

Lots of math like Abstract Algebra, Differential Equations, Calculus, Probability and Statistics; Electromagnetics, Circuit Theory, Computer programming, Physics, Statics, Dynamics, Communications Theory, Random Signals

 

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges?

 Random Signals.  The concepts were very abstract and incorporated techniques from my second hardest class, Prob and Stats.  I studied a lot, and asked friends and the professors for help.

 

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op?

 I had two internships. The first was at Lucent Technologies in Whippany, New Jersey and the second was at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York.

 

7. What company do/did you currently work for?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) - Johnson Space Center

 

8.  What is/was your job title?

 I am currently the Communications and Tracking (C&T) lead for Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) services on the Commercial Crew Integrated Capabilities (CCiCap) program with Boeing.  Basically, I am a former Space Shuttle Flight Controller that is providing my expertise to Boeing as they design and build their new spacecraft.

 

9.  What are/were your day to day tasks?

Reading and writing, mostly.  The spacecraft design is essentially complete and the engineers are procuring parts.  The Mission Operations team is in the process of developing the Concept of Operations for the vehicle, which requires a lot of requirements reading, schematics reading, and document writing.

 

10.   Do/Did you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer?

I like to work solo but periodically collaborate with a team.

 

11.   What type of skill sets are needed for this job?

High amount of technical skill and understanding, as well as a fundamental understanding of how human spaceflight operations works.  It is easy to separate yourself from the human element if you are only dealing with hardware and software.

 

12.   What is it like working in a predominantly male environment? What are some of the struggles you faced?

Fortunately there are more women now than before…but I am the only female (and African American) on this lead team.  I’m so used to it that it doesn’t phase me much.  The men I work with treat me like another member of the team; I am in a very professional environment, so there aren’t many issues.

 

13.   Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?

I have several mentors.  They have taught me to be open minded, to not be afraid to speak up, and exude confidence. They’ve also helped me make connections with people around the center and NASA.

 

14.   What do you believe to be your greatest strength?

Adaptability

 

15.   What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?

Perfectionism.

 

16.   What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?

Being certified as a “front room” flight controller and working 3 lead flights.  I’m the only African American female to do that in my discipline, and one of few African Americans in the Shuttle program.

 

17.   What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

Cook, bake, shop, travel, read, spend time with family.

 

18.   What did you want to be when you were a child?             

 A fashion designer.

 

19.   If you could switch professions with someone else, what would it be and why?

A personal chef, because I love to cook and create new dishes….and love to see the smiles on happy faces after they have eaten my food.

 

20.    What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field?

Study hard and understand that people will underestimate you on a regular basis.  Don’t let that discourage you from fulfilling your goals and dreams.  Keep an open mind and be professional at all times – even with other people are not. 

My First Author Visit

Date: February 27, 2013
School: Benbrook Elementary in Houston, TX

 

 

There are many words that can describe experiencing my first author visit, but the one word that comes to mind is...REWARDING!  Knowing that all my hard work from writing my children's book, to finding an illustrator who got my vision, to creating my own publishing company and lastly, seeing the final product presented to your targeted audience is exhilarating.  Seeing all the smiling faces of the kids and their excitement during the presentation is very inspiring. What I enjoyed the most was after the presentation concluded, many of the kids came up to me, hugged me and told me that they loved the book. Even though the book is geared for girls, the boys were even telling me they loved the book.

I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, with the divine intervention of God of course! Today, that was reaffirmed by my first author visit. For the first time in my life, I feel like this is the career I was meant to have. Although I've enjoyed my past job experiences, nothing can compare to what I felt today. Some of the puzzle pieces of my life are beginning to fit into place.

Puzzle Piece #1 – In 2003, I wrote a short essay titled, "Sharon - Future Psychologist," for a scholarship. Interestingly enough, my short essay was published in; get this...Authors of Tomorrow!

Puzzle Piece #2 –I had my daughter in 2005, then the next one and so on and so forth, all the way to number 4! I was meant to create strong and independent future leaders!

Puzzle Piece #3 – Upon completion of my Master’s degree (and a year’s worth of job searches), I landed a job as a Program Coordinator in the Education Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). My job consisted of recruiting minority high school and college students going into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields for paid technical internships. I also had the opportunity to manage the Pre-Service Teacher Institute program, which allowed pre-service teachers throughout the nation an opportunity to come to JSC for a week long workshop, where they learned to incorporate NASA approved Math and Science curriculum into their future classrooms, along with the use of different technologies. I also had the pleasure of planning and supporting NASA’s presence at the Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Conference (HESTEC), down in Edinburg, TX, on the University of Texas – Pan American campus for two years in a row.

Puzzle Piece #4 – While working at NASA JSC, I also taught General Psychology, as an adjunct professor at San Jacinto College.

There are many more puzzle piece that fit into the larger picture, but at this time, these are the pieces that stand out the most. I believe each of these components is God’s way of saying, “Hey Sharon, you keep doing your thing, but I have a better plan in mind for you.” My short essay, in a way, foreshadowed what I would do in the future. At the time, it was a means to help pay for college but little did I realize that this publication would mean more to me in the future.

My job at JSC allowed me to connect with many of the women who will be showcased on this blog. I also connected with four cohorts of pre-service teachers, many of them now in their own classrooms. Possible author visits? Yes, I do believe so!

As an adjunct, I had to prepare my lecture materials, tests/assessments, grade assignments, report metrics and present lecture materials to the students. This allowed me to firm up my organization skills and perfect my public speaking skills, which is still a learning process. I believe this was a way for me to get over my stage fright and become comfortable speaking in front of crowds, both big and small.  Don’t get me wrong, I still get nervous at the beginning, but it's taking me less and less time to get comfortable and start being my true self.

It's all about bring it all back full circle and if all these are signs that I was meant to do what I did today, then I’m glad I’m on the path that was destined for me. I have always loved children, but knew I wasn’t cut out to be an elementary school teacher; therefore, being an author and visiting schools is the best of both worlds. I get to interact with the children in a fun and enjoyable environment, and best of all, I don’t have to test them over the material. Frankly, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. =)

My life's mantra comes from Mahatma Gandhi. "Be the change you wish to see in the world."