Sabrina Thompson

I was born on April 9, 1985, in a small town on Long Island, New York, called Roosevelt. I spent my entire childhood in this small family-oriented community and attended the Roosevelt Public Schools from pre-kindergarten to high school. Unlike many, I did not grow up with the desire to become an engineer. In fact, I did not know what an engineer was until the 12th grade, when I started to seek possible majors for college. As a child, I dreamt of becoming a basketball superstar. I admired basketball players such as Teresa Weatherspoon, Cynthia Cooper, and Teresa Edwards. In the seventh grade, I tried out for the high school girls’ varsity team and made the cut. By the 9th grade, I was captain of the team. I also played National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women’s basketball in college as a walk-on player. Prior to my senior year of high school, I did not think much about college. It was just a minor thought in the back of my mind. I knew I was going to attend college, but I did not know which school or major to pursue. So, I polled my teachers and mentors for ideas. Since I was gifted with exceptional artistic ability, my art teacher thought it would be fitting to pursue further education at an institution with a stellar art program. Others suggested that I pursue a degree in one of the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines because I excelled in all my math and science courses. I remember one teacher suggested that I use my math, science, and creativity skills to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. It was at this point that I decided to do some research to find out if this would be a fitting career field. I asked one of my science teachers what he thought about the idea. He looked me in the eye and told me that I should stick to art because the science and math classes would be too hard for me in college. At that moment, I knew exactly what degree I was going to pursue in college: a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Instead of becoming discouraged by his words, I considered it a challenge and used it as fuel to feed the burning desire in me that wanted to prove him wrong. I went on to not only earn a bachelor’s, but a master’s degree as well.

I am proud to be the first in my family to obtain both a bachelor’s and master’s degree (I also aim to be the first to attain a PhD). Growing up in the poorest town on Long Island and receiving a second-class education did not hinder me from achieving success in endeavors I pursued. It bothers me when I witness people accepting mediocrity in life. During my childhood, I was fortunate to have more people in my life who spoke positive words in my ears than those who spoke negative. These people did not allow me to accept mediocrity from myself. They pushed me to limits I thought I could never cross and I am forever thankful. I believe everyone has a dream, a passion, a desire for something great in life. But it takes courage, faith, and diligence to achieve it.

Ramona Travis

NASA and I were born in the same year, and our common adventures since then have led us down paths to both seek the excitement of looking outward to space and the awe of looking down at the wonder of our home in the universe—mother Earth. I grew up in those early days of NASA, watching TV shows like Star Trek, movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the Kon-Tiki boat expeditions about early human exploration. I memorized the constellations, laying on the hood of our car on summer nights, looking up at the configurations of stars and pondering the early lore about them that I had learned in class. Carl Sagan was one of my favorite authors, along with assorted Sci-Fi storytellers and the ancient writers of Greek and Roman mythology who wrote about how the heavens came to be.

I’ve always had a sense of reverence and awe for our Earth—a special watery globe, teeming with life and patches of green and brown, that is perfectly matched to us. Or is it that we are matched to her? Humans were born here and need to understand her and care for her as we grow in our intelligence and abilities and, eventually, as we leave for other future homes beyond her embrace. I loved to read about early civilizations and the works of authors sharing insights about the environmental challenges facing our modern societies and earthly home. I’ve always been fascinated with our place as humans in the grand scheme of the world and the larger universe.

I’m a second-generation American with French-Canadian ancestors who were farmers, loggers, and trappers, and a Finnish grandmother who escaped during the Bolshevik Revolution to come to the US in her teens and never saw her Finnish family members again. Though I feel fully American with a respect and compassion for my heritage, the feel of immigrant status is not that far removed. Both of my parents repeated first grade because they weren’t fluent in English. Perhaps as a result of that experience, my parents held great respect and value for education and encouraged us to pursue our dreams and to go to college. They helped to instill a philosophy espoused by President John F. Kennedy when he announced that we would go to the moon… “…that we should do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” I still remind myself of that when I know I need to go beyond my comfort zone to keep growing as a person.

In my elementary years, I went through stages of wanting to be a teacher and then an archeologist, a meteorologist, an environmental scientist, and an engineer. I started college wanting to be either an aerospace engineer or a civil engineer, and I excelled. However, after taking an elective geology course, my passion for science peaked again. I changed paths and moved toward environmental science and actually pursued all three of my degrees in plant and soil science.

I was hired by NASA to be a remote sensing research scientist using satellite images and ground data to map changes to the Earth’s surface and to better understand the impact of those changes on the Earth’s environment. Over the course of my career, I have been able to engage in all of my previously desired career paths in some form. I have taught science and geography as a part-time college professor and have managed programs involving university professors and students conducting research for NASA. My work as a soil scientist has many similarities to civil engineering, and I have even been involved in archeological studies using NASA ground penetrating radar equipment. My remote sensing work has involved meteorology. I have always worked closely with engineers in designing new remote sensing equipment. As the present chief technologist for the nation’s largest rocket engine testing complex at Stennis Space Center, I work daily with aerospace engineers and “rocket scientists” to help push the human frontier further into space. My advice to others: Don’t worry too much about picking a precise career path, but rather seek a career field that permits you to take advantage of opportunities to embrace your various passions over time.

My experiences with NASA have given me great moments from which to recall,: like the day I was first hired and made a pledge to the US government and felt the pride and immense responsibility of being a public servant; and the day I watched what seemed like the omnipotent presence of God in an aurora borealis as I sat next to an Arctic lake campfire after a day of field work; or the time I fearfully dodged alligators and snakes in the morning but fearlessly out-raced a lightning storm in our outboard boat while doing field work in the Louisiana marsh; or the fulfillment and tears that welled up inside me the time a past summer intern sent me a letter thanking me for the tremendous impact I had had on his college experience and career development; or the almost fantasy-like experience I had once as I swam in the midst of waters laden with phosphorescent diatoms in Puerto Rico—waters that pulsed with light with my every splash and stroke; or the time I saw the majesty and imagined the history of a herd of wild horses on a North Carolina barrier island adjacent to a site we were studying to help prevent island degradation and disappearance; or the time I shared a satellite image of vast Canadian peat bogs with a tribal leader and learned far more from him and his unique and intimate understanding about the terrain’s environmental status than my mere technology could ever unveil.

We all build on those who came before us. Those missions outward into space are not mine to make physically, but a piece of me will be with those who do. Let me end by sharing much as I started—that in my latter years with NASA, I look forward to continuing to do my part in helping to make strides toward advancing human presence in the universe while keeping my feet grounded here on Mother Earth. Hopefully, your dreams will build on those like mine, furnish you a career path that will not only nourish your mind but also your soul, and will carry you through the next steps in this human adventure.

Dovie Lacy

Whenever I’m asked what inspired me to work at NASA, I smile; I never aspired to work for NASA. However, in 1981, during my senior year in college I did complete an SFS-171, but did not think anymore about it until I received a call from NASA in December 1983.

While growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I always wanted to be a teacher, although I had no concept of going to college to become one. As far as I knew, teachers were just teachers. How they became teachers, I did not know. In high school I was an honor student, but it was not until March 1977 (during my junior year) that the topic of my going to college came up. On that fateful day, I walked into my guidance counselor’s office and he said, “Dovie, you are good in math and science; do you want to be an engineer?” I responded, “I don’t think so; don’t engineers drive trains?” He explained that engineers use the principles of math and science to design things like planes and machines. That got my attention. While growing up, not only did I ask a lot of “why” questions, but I was also a tinkerer, always taking things apart (radios, watches, roller skates) and doing experiments. Back to that fateful day in 1977: That afternoon, we attended a Minority Engineering Forum at Cleveland State University and ended up sitting next to the Minority Engineering Program Manager from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This gentleman asked my guidance counselor whether he know anyone who wanted to be an engineer and would be interested in spending six weeks at Southern University at an Engineering Summer Institute. My guidance counselor said yes, she would, and as they say, the rest is history!

I excelled at the Engineering Institute, and halfway through the program I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in engineering. After graduating from high school I went to Southern University with a full 4-year scholarship to major in mechanical engineering. I spent my summers working as an intern for the U.S. Navy at the Norfolk Naval Base, in Norfolk, Virginia; Union Carbide in the Cleveland, Ohio, and General Electric also in Cleveland, Ohio. Following graduation, returned home to Cleveland.

My first job was with the local utility company, where I worked as a mechanical inspector at a nuclear power plant construction site. I did not like working at the construction site, so, after having my second child, I did not return to work there. Instead, in March 1984, when my daughter was six weeks old, I started work at the NASA Glenn (formerly NASA Lewis) Research Center in the Space Power Systems Division. I was the lead for the Advanced Solar Dynamic Heat Receiver Project. My first day at NASA was emotionally challenging; I was both excited and anxious about starting this new job and, to be honest, I was a little sad at having to leave my daughter. I remember going the wrong way on a one-way road during the busiest time of the day – not fun – but things quickly got better.

After working in engineering for six years, I transferred to the Education Office to work as a minority scholarship manager. One thing I have learned about myself is that after a few years, I get antsy and begin to look for other opportunities to grow and make a difference. So, after three years in education I transferred to the aeronautics group where I worked on the subsonic noise reduction program. Herein lay another great lesson: An engineering degree can open a lot of doors. After working in aeronautics for two years, I got the opportunity to live my dream; I became a teacher! For five years, I taught elementary science at a local private school. This was an amazing experience, better than I hoped or dreamed it could be. During my last year at the school, I served in a dual capacity: I taught science and I served as the school’s administrator!

As fate would have it, in June 2000 I returned to the Education Office at NASA. I became the Project Manager for NASA’s Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) project. Again, this was a great experience and I held this position for 7 years. During this time, I realized that I really liked project management, so I decided to learn all that I could about the topic. I took several NASA-based project management courses as well as courses provided by project management professional organizations. I was also able to fulfill the teacher in me by mentoring colleagues and others in various aspects of project management. One of the happiest days in my professional life was June 28, 2008, when I received my Project Management Professional Certification. Because of my engineering, education, and project management skills and experience, in January 2010, I received the opportunity to work at NASA Headquarters on one of the Administrator’s education priorities – the Summer of Innovation Project.

I consider myself past the halfway mark in my NASA career, and it has been a wonderful one. It hasn’t been perfect, but it has been fun, challenging, and very rewarding. I have never been bored in my career and have had tremendous opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

Gwendolyn Young

My father served in the Marine Corps, so we moved a lot during my childhood. Making friends and just fitting in were huge challenges because of my family’s transient lifestyle. I found solace in my schoolwork and excelled in math and science but never thought about working for NASA.

In the 1970’s, girls were encouraged to get married or pursue a career as a nurse or a teacher. My parents did not graduate from high school, so they were unable to provide career advice, and I wanted to go to college. I earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education but decided teaching was not the career for me.

I then decided to apply to a graduate school program in organizational behavior, but was rejected. This was a major disappointment as I did well in my behavioral classes and was even friends with the professor who had encouraged me to apply for graduate school. I was then encouraged to apply to the Masters of Business Administration program, but was rejected again, leaving me with a near zero self image. I was totally lost and unsure of what to do next.

I spoke to another graduate school official who recommended the Masters of Public Administration program, and figuring I had nothing to lose, I applied. Fortunately, I was accepted and later realized the MPA program was right for me.

In the last year of graduate school, I was selected for the Presidential Management Intern Program, a two-year internship with the federal government. I received interview requests from various agencies but was surprised when NASA called, since I was neither an engineer nor a scientist. They explained that NASA required all types of skills. I was honored and excited at this possibility.

I chose NASA and was assigned to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Headquarters. I began in June, which is the peak of the budget process for the agency. My initial assignments were making copies, collating presentations and sitting through seemingly endless budget meetings.

My major responsibility was to coordinate the updating of the Chief Financial Officer’s budget book. The task was challenging since some of the analysts did not like to be reminded of the due dates! One analyst did not give me his budget book pages, and I was afraid to tell the boss that the book was not completed on time. My poor judgment resulted in him carefully explaining to me the importance of meeting deadlines. He explained that the due date was part of a larger integration process, and that even if the product is incomplete it should always be submitted on time with as much information as possible. I have always remembered this cardinal rule, and have taught this to the analysts I have trained.

After I completed my internship, I became a resource analyst in the International Space Station Freedom program office where I was responsible for specific Center budgets. I thoroughly enjoyed my job as I learned so much from working with the engineers. I gained knowledge of the engineering development cycle, participated in the formulation of an integrated master schedule and learned about the program office portion budget process.

When the space station office moved, I made a major career change by transferring to the Stennis Space Center to become their Resources Management Officer. Though I was only there for 18 months, I thoroughly enjoyed working with the employees and learning about the operations at a NASA center.

In 1993, I moved to the Dryden Flight Research Center to become its Chief Financial Officer. Since the office had just been created, I wrote position descriptions, hired my management team, developed processes and worked to form a cohesive team. These were challenging but rewarding times, and I was fortunate to work with very talented employees.

Since 2001, I have served as Dryden’s Associate Director for Management, recently renamed Director for Mission Support, responsible for mission support offices such as acquisition, finance, facilities, protective services and strategic communications, ensuring that these offices provide efficient and effective support for the programs. The most satisfying part of my job is solving problems and providing needed support to accomplish the center’s mission. My proudest achievement was establishing the mission support offices as a cohesive leadership team rather than a group of individual offices.

After working 28 years at NASA, I have learned some important life lessons, such as not giving up after experiencing failure and maintaining resilience. I found the courage to speak up, and asked questions or made statements that everyone else was thinking yet reluctant to share. I have strived to always do my best since my work is a reflection of not only myself but also of my organization. Most importantly, I have learned that as a team we can handle any challenge if we work together, which has given me the confidence that we as an agency will figure out what the next step in human spaceflight will be.

I have been lucky to work at NASA and have seen some pretty cool airplanes too, such as an SR-71 flyby while standing by the runway. I have also witnessed the record Mach 7 flight of the X-43 that made the Guinness Book of Records, and watched four space shuttle launches, two landings and the takeoff of the 747 shuttle carrier aircraft three times with space shuttles mounted atop. In May 2010, I saw the successful launch abort test of the Orion crew capsule. Recently, I observed the first open door flight of the SOFIA 747 aircraft and in my time at Dryden I have been fortunate to see numerous airplane flyovers — opportunities I could never have foreseen when I started with NASA.

Tarrie Hood

I joined NASA because I wanted to be a part of a world-class organization in which cutting-edge technology was the standard and is created and used daily. Working at NASA provides me the freedom to learn new things, keep current with state of the industry technology, and work with great people. NASA is definitely more than astronauts.

My road to NASA was not an easy one. I was fortunate enough during my lifetime to have two very special women – my mother Gladis and my sister Veronica – who greatly influenced me and inspired me to strive to achieve great things. My mother, who raised me as a single parent, passed away due to complications from Lupus when I was just 14 years old. Our years together were cut short by her illness, so the years we had together were priceless.

My mother taught me how to be independent and mindful of other people’s feelings, and to love the word of God. She encouraged and challenged me to always do my best and to believe in my God-given abilities. My loving and supportive sister was only 18 years old when she assumed the role of mother to me after our mother’s passing. From my sister, I learned that sometimes it is necessary to put your own desires and needs on hold to be there for the ones you love and who need you.

My sister’s selfless actions inspired me to find a way to give back to others, show respect to those who have been there for me when I needed them, and be a role model to my own children; most importantly, she showed me what it means to be humble and modest. Without these two beautiful women in my life, I know I would not be the person I am today.

I began working at NASA in 1989 as a participant in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Cooperative Education Program as an administrative assistant for the Science & Engineering Directorate. I was 19 years old at the time and was raising and supporting my daughter, Bridgette. I was hired as a permanent employee in June 1991 after graduating from Calhoun College with my associate’s degree in business administration. In 1995, I competed and was awarded a position within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer as a civilian pay technician. This would be my first step toward a new career with promotion potential. It also motivated me to continue my education and pursue my bachelor’s degree, to better support myself and my children.

In 2006, I was asked to participate in the transition of NASA’s payroll operations from the Consolidated Payroll Office to the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. This transition of services was one of the hardest tasks I have ever performed in my NASA career. I next applied for a position within the Marshall Center’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, where I was selected for my current post as an information technology specialist in NASA’s Enterprise Applications Competency Center, also known as NEACC. This opportunity came with a promotion effective the first day of my reassignment – God truly works in mysterious ways! At a time when I was facing one of the most challenging moments in my career, God stepped in and made it one of the happiest moments. Prayer truly changes things!

When I look back, I consider graduating from high school to be one of my greatest accomplishments because it was the first step toward furthering my education. Receiving my diploma was a great moment, owing to the many challenges I faced during my high school years. The loss of my mother at age 14 and the challenges of becoming a single parent at age 16 forced me to rely on my faith and personal strengths. I worked hard to keep my grades up while providing for and taking care of my daughter. In the end I graduated in the top 10th percentile of my senior class. My academic success in high school led to my receiving a full academic scholarship to attend college.

I am so proud, but humbled at the same time, to say that my perseverance to succeed academically and personally has rubbed off on my children: My daughter Bridgette recently graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and my son Jaron currently is pursuing his college degree in nursing as well. Over the years, I’ve encouraged my sister Veronica to go back to school and continue her education, too. I was so excited when, in 2009, she started taking nursing courses with my son.

Away from work I enjoy spending time with my family and being involved in youth and outreach activities at my church. I love the outdoors, planting flowers, and doing my own lawn work. One of my favorite things is watching high school, college, and professional football and basketball games.

If I could tell any young person one thing, it would be this: Never give up on yourself and your dreams! NASA is definitely more than astronauts, and anyone who works for NASA can reach for the stars.

Connie Snapp

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I would one day work for NASA. My name is Connie Snapp. I’m a Contracting Officer for Langley Research Center in Hampton,VA.

I grew up in a small Missouri town of about 2,060, where people made fun of my name (Concepcion Guerrero), questioned my right to belong, called me derogatory names – sometimes people just didn’t know what to make of me. It was difficult, but I now understand that it helped to mold me into who I am today and made me fight harder to attain my goals.

My dad is from South Texas and my mom is from Mexico. They come from families who relied on migrant work for survival.

I didn’t realize until I was older what remarkable people my parents were. Neither graduated from high school. They missed so much school from traveling all over the country to work in the fields that every year they would fall months behind and it made school more and more difficult. My mom dreamed of becoming a nurse, and my dad dreamed of becoming a lawyer.

My dad grew frustrated with trying to go to school while helping to support his family so he dropped out, earned his GED and joined the Air Force. He has always had a strong work ethic. As a young child, he sold fruits and vegetables door to door to contribute to the family income. He overcame many personal challenges and persevered in making a better life for himself and us.
I’m amazed at the depths of my dad’s “can do” attitude. He had a successful Air Force career, which inspired my two brothers and husband to serve in the military. But Dad also taught himself how to grow crops, dig wells, and raise livestock. He built his own house and managed his finances so that when he retired he could choose the things he really wanted to do. My dad is my hero.

My mom earned her GED after my brothers and I left home. I still get emotional when I think of my mom at our kitchen table, under an old hanging light, studying to earn her GED so many years after dropping out of junior high school. I remember asking her, “Mom, why are you working so hard to get your GED? Are you going to get a job?”
She said, “It’s just something I have always wanted.”

She also found time to mentor a young Mexican woman who was learning to speak English and acclimating to a new country. My mom was my inspiration on days when college seemed too difficult. She taught me to become a role model for my daughter – to show her that if you want something enough, you must work hard to get it and not allow others to discourage you.

I wanted to quit many times, but how could I tell my daughter that she had to graduate college if I allowed my doubts and frustrations to stop me? All I had to do was to picture my Mom sitting at that table night after night. My mom is my hero, too.
I married right out of high school and my daughter was born 13 months later. My dream was to be an artist and a writer. I attended night courses, worked, ran a household, and raised my daughter.

We were later stationed in Florida, and I found it difficult to get a job. My husband encouraged me to earn a business degree. It was tough, and money was tight, but with my family’s encouragement, I became a full-time student, sometimes driving three hours a day, three days a week to attend classes.

I juggled school with commuting, running a household, attending my daughter’s many school functions and applying for grants and scholarships to pay for college. There were many panicked days, like when I went to a calculus course after not having had algebra for more than 10 years and had the sickening realization that I had no idea how to use my TI-83 graphing calculator while the other “kids” were playing games on theirs!
I was initially overwhelmed. That’s when I’d remember my hard working parents and my daughter and it would push me to work harder and not give up. Later, I found that overcoming these obstacles could be an inspiration to others.

My parents grew up in an environment where kids started work at an early age. Graduating high school wasn’t the highest priority. My parents raised us with modest means, but it was always understood that they wanted us to graduate high school, and we all did. Two of us hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I have a bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of West Florida and a masters of Acquisition Management from American Graduate University.

Thanks to the Air Force, I’ve lived in some really great places, including Guam, California and Florida, and I have been fortunate enough to visit Korea, Mexico and Japan. Those places gave me a real appreciation for cultures and diversity.

I’ve worked at NASA for four years and have had some challenging experiences, from awarding contracts from NASA Research Announcements to working a $400M multiple award acquisition for research and development to administering a dynamic Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System Flight Model 6 contract.

Before NASA, I worked for the Air Force. I would cut through NASA Langley on my way to work at Langley Air Force Base and I loved driving through the center. It seemed so peaceful, with a campus-like atmosphere. It has been exciting to learn about the great research that is accomplished here and how it affects us in our everyday lives.

I appreciate hearing stories of female colleagues and what they faced on their way to equality, especially the engineers and the women in contracting. It makes me realize that everyone has conquered challenges and we all have stories to share.

I love the idea of inspiring others. I have three young nieces and a daughter that I want to be a good role model for, and I will share my story with them, too. I hope this will help to inspire other girls and young women to keep striving to reach their goals.

Charmel Jones

Although I wasn’t sure just what type of engineer I wanted to be, at an early age I knew that I wanted to be one when I grew up. It has always fascinated me to figure out how things worked, what contributed to making them work, and why things function the way that they do. My interest in engineering stemmed from attending enrichment programs within my county during the summers while I was in fourth to eighth grades. Through participation in these programs, I was able to start honing my math, science, English, foreign language, sports and technology skills at an earlier age than most of my counterparts. Of all these activities, my interest and curiosity was always peaked within the technology field. I quickly excelled in this field and it became my favorite because it challenged me to think outside of the box, provided me firsthand experience with developing and creating projects, and introduced me to problem solving. It’s amazing, but I can still remember to this very day working on my first project — building a model rocket. Although it didn’t launch just right, I remember being proud when it ignited and took off from the ground. From that point on, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related activities and projects became a priority in my life, and I set a personal goal to become an engineer. My goal was achieved when I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) in May 2003. Today, I am an Aerospace Quality Engineer within the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Directorate at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

Aside from becoming a part of the NASA family in July 2004, one of the proudest moments of my life came upon graduating from FAMU. When I graduated, I became the fourth generation within my family to complete studies at FAMU. In addition, my graduation marked another important achievement: I became the first female engineer within my family’s history. My family has continually strived and believed in educational excellence, but in over 50 years and through the many generations that preceded me, I was the first female engineer! Not only had I fulfilled my goal of becoming an engineer, I set a new record as well! I was ecstatic! Prior to my obtaining my engineering degree, it seemed as though engineering was a man’s field within my family. It felt great to break this perception and accomplish something that no other woman in my family had. While I was growing up, my family members tried to persuade me to pursue nursing, education (teaching), or business administration, but none of them appealed to me. This moment is one of the most fulfilling in my life because it was something that I earned on my own. No one gave it to me. I had to work hard and persevere to obtain it. It was also a moment that I could give testament to those that said that “I would not amount to anything” because I was raised in an “unbalanced” family that I could do anything that I put my mind and effort to.

Although I would go on to be the lead Qauality Engineer (QE) for the Calipso-Cloudsat, Space Technology (ST)-5, STEREO, THEMIS and AIM Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) missions, being the lead for the Pluto New Horizons (PNH) mission at KSC proved to be the one of the happiest moments of my young career because it was my first space mission. It was a significant milestone for me because it provided me the opportunity to utilize the engineering tools that I learned in theory in school and apply them to real-life applications and hardware throughout the launch campaign. The PNH spacecraft was successfully launched on Jan. 19, 2006, aboard Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. It will fly past the icy planet and its moons in July 2015 and shed light on new kinds of worlds we’ve only just discovered on the outskirts of the solar system by making the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Charon– a “double planet” and the last planet in our solar system to be visited by spacecraft. This mission was a high profile one and being able to function as the lead QE during launch vehicle manufacturing and integration at the launch pad, spacecraft integration, and launch was a prodigious feeling. As the lead QE, I was responsible for developing, implementing,and executing assurance activities and processes to aid in minimizing risk to flight hardware, personnel and mission success. Additionally, I was responsible for ensuring that the launch service contractor — Lockheed Martin, the contractor providing the ride for the spacecraft, possessed a healthy and functional Quality Management System that was capable of producing and processing flightworthy hardware per AS9100/ISO 9000 standards while also meeting NASA and KSC standards, policies and requirements.