Hey, I'm Jori.
At NASA
we pay
tribute to the women in STEM
who continue to lead the way
for change in our society
and culture, this march,
we share the spotlight.
Just a few.
In honor of Women's
History Month.
Did you know
human computers
were a huge part of NASA's
history?
34 years at NASA.
Annie Easily.
Paved the way, for women's right
by helping supervisors
address issues
such as gender,
race and age discrimination.
And on the other
side of the country,
Helen Ling
hired women computers
who wanted to be engineers
but who didn't have
the necessary education.
Over the years,
more women
were trained to be NASA
astronauts.
While she never went to space.
Dr.
Patricia Cowings
became the first American
woman scientist
to be trained
as a payload specialist
and even developed a method
to train astronauts
on how to combat
motion sickness
during spaceflight.
Did you know
NASA engineer was inspired
by a drinking straw
to create a new way
to clean up toxic waste?
Well, it's true.
NASA's environmental
engineer, Jackie
Quinn, was hit by inspiration
in the cafeteria
when she came up
with an invention
to clean up contaminated
water and soil.
All thanks to a drinking straw,
Houston, do you copy?
In 2001, Ginger Curd
became the first non astronaut
capsule communicator, a.k.a.
a person who relays information
and mission control
to astronauts in space.
Four years later,
Ginger became NASA's
first Hispanic
female flight director.
From politics to science
pioneers, engineers,
women are making history
every day, and that
is worth celebrating.
Good morning and thank you
for joining us in
celebrating Women's
History Month at NASA.
My name is Sarah
Adewumi and I am a side
security specialist
here at NASA Goddard.
This year's Women's
History Month
theme, as announced
by the National Women's
History Alliance,
is celebrating
women who tell our stories.
Women at NASA
serve as role models
for young women,
and by sharing our stories,
we can inspire
the next generation
and help
launch them on STEM pathways.
The Office of STEM Engagement
is excited to support this goal
and announce
the new agency Wide
Women in STEM a 2023 initiative
to mobilize women
at NASA
to participate in student
engagement opportunities.
To talk
more about this initiative,
please welcome Kris
Brown, a deputy associate
administrator of NASA's
STEM engagement.
Good morning, Sarah.
Thanks so much.
I am delighted to be
with all of you,
and especially
I am pleased
and excited to be back here
at Goddard, back home,
so to speak.
This is where it all started
for me in my NASA
career as an engineer.
We are here today
to mark Women's
History Month
and celebrate the contributions
and accomplishments of women
at NASA today
and throughout the history
of our agency.
I am honored to be joined today
by a few of our women of NASA
who have charted the path,
who have charting paths for us
and are going to be part
of our panel discussion.
Our goal for today
is to particularly honor
the women of NASA
who have charted
those paths before us
and their collective legacy
with an invitation
to join us
on a critical mission.
I like to frame it as
we are
on a mission
of creating possibilities.
At NASA, an important element
of our work
and our agency's
mission is devoted
to building
a diverse
future STEM workforce.
We do that
by providing a spectrum
of opportunities
and activities
designed to inspire
and engage students
that next generation
of scientists,
engineers and explorers.
NASA's
investments in
engaging students are vital
to our collective ability
to continue the work we do
and advance
our future work
in exploration and discovery.
And we need your help.
The theme of this
year's Women's
History Month is, as Sara said,
celebrating women
who tell our stories.
I'd like to focus on
that for a few minutes.
The women you'll hear
from today
have compelling stories
to tell,
but in fact,
we all have powerful stories
to tell.
If I could
have you take one
thing away from today's
session is
I would like you to hold on to
that idea
that each of us
you have powerful stories
to tell
that may touch a young person,
spark their imagination,
resonate with an experience
they've had.
Inspire them
to see possibilities
or dream big.
NASA's committed to
building a diverse
next generation STEM workforce
and to broadening participation
in order to increase diversity,
equity and inclusion
and accessibility in STEM.
Let's talk about why
we need to invest in this work.
I'd like to note
three relevant areas of need.
First,
there is evidence
that the current domestic
supply of STEM workers
is not sufficient
to meet our nation's
future needs.
Estimates suggest
that the United States
will need 1 million
more STEM professionals
then it's on track to produce
over the next decade.
Second, a large proportion
of our current STEM
workforce is at or
nearing retirement,
and that's especially true
here at NASA.
We need to move into action
to support a healthy pipeline
of future STEM professionals
to meet increasing demands.
And finally, third,
currently women
and other minority populations,
Asians
are disproportionately
represented in STEM fields.
We must shift our demographics
of the STEM workforce
to better
reflect the population
of the nation that we serve.
Let's dive in
just a bit deeper.
While women make up
51% of the college
educated U.S.
workforce, only 29% comprise
the science
and engineering workforce
in some notable fields,
particularly in the
physical sciences
and computer science.
The disparity
The disparity is very large.
For instance, women
make up less than 16%
of the engineering workforce
and only 26% of the computer
science workforce as examples.
When I started in engineering
just a few moments ago,
there were less than 9%
of women
in the engineering workforce.
I was
literally the only
woman in the room.
While the landscape is better
now, it's
it's not where it needs to be.
And we know that.
And unfortunately,
women of color
are even more underrepresented.
Hispanic women
make up only 2.3%
of the science
and engineering workforce.
Black women
or African-American women
make up 2.5%
and Native American women
less than 1%.
And beyond gender, overall,
we need to shift
the demographics of the science
and engineering workforce.
Blacks are African-Americans,
Hispanics or Latinos,
American Indians
or Alaska Natives together
make up a greater share
of the general population
than they do of
those working in STEM.
In order to
reflect our
nation's population,
we clearly need to do better.
Not to mention
sustaining a healthy pipeline
and a diverse pipeline
of future STEM workers
in order to meet the demands
that we are experiencing
globally in areas
such as public health,
climate change,
technological advances
in multiple sectors,
including the aerospace
industry.
Girls and boys,
especially those
from underserved
and underrepresented
communities,
need to be able
to envision themselves
by seeing and experiencing
people who look like them
and who they can relate
to doing
exciting work
that makes a difference
in the world.
And that's
where we all come in.
So back to my invitation.
Today,
I'm thrilled to announce
a new initiative,
The Women in STEM 2023.
Our purpose as Sarah
noted,
is to mobilize women at NASA
to get out there and engage
with students
serving as powerful role
models, mentors and guides.
We've set a goal of
20, 23 hours
in this calendar year
of service
to students and educators,
and we hope
that you will consider
getting involved
through a dedicated
internal website.
You can register to participate
in the initiative,
explore opportunities that
you might want to embark in,
and find volunteers
for your own activities
that you might be involved
in or sponsoring
through a shared calendar.
Each center has a designated
point of contact,
and that's available
on the website.
And if you reference
NASA Deputy
Administrator Pam Melroy
email
that went out to the workforce
yesterday.
You can find the link
to that site.
And I was told by
by our team this morning
that we already have
224 people registered
and that's in less
than 24 hours.
So we're pretty excited
about the prospect
of you all getting involved.
And there are many ways
for you to get involved.
And if you're out there already
connecting with students,
we're asking you
to share that with us.
In registering,
we're looking for you to commit
at least one
hour of your time to
get out there with students.
While we aim to build
a community of women
who are committed
to bolstering our efforts
to serving
as role models and mentors
and to connect
and work with students.
I'd like to take
this opportunity to encourage
all of you women and men
to consider getting involved,
to inspire and engage students,
helping them to see themselves,
and doing doing that
exciting work
that we do here at NASA.
And finally, I'd like
for each of you
to carry a vision forward.
I imagine if you've
no you've probably noticed
if you've traveled
anywhere over the past year
or two,
lots of young people
around the country
wearing proudly their Nassau
branded clothing
and having their NASA's gear.
It's really exciting to see
clearly there is curiosity out
there, affinity
and interest to what we do
and this
this bond in a way, to NASA.
Think about this mission that
I have invited you
to join us on in
creating possibilities.
Imagine if each of us at NASA
took on the mantle
of actively engaging students.
We have the power to translate
that curiosity and interest
that's out there, that affinity
into action.
Enrolling more
of these young people
to consider
and imagine a future in STEM.
That's what women in STEM
2023 is all about.
I'm challenge
challenging each of you
to join us in building
that next generation
of explorers,
a diverse workforce
that is energized
and ready
to take
on the work of tomorrow.
Thank you all
so much for being with us
today.
And I look forward to us
all sharing our stories.
As I tell students,
the universe is out there
waiting for them.
Thanks so much.
Well, thank you so much, Chris.
Through their accomplishments
and dedication to their jobs.
Women at NASA embody
the spirit
of Women's History Month.
Today, I'm
joined by leaders at NASA
like Chris,
whose work
in promoting STEM in
their communities
is leading the way
for the next generation
of women in STEM.
Please join me in welcoming
our other speakers
Crystal Johnson,
Sandra Kaufman and Mamta Patel.
Nagarajan.
Thank you all so much
for joining us here today
to talk about your experience
as women in STEM
and the work
you do to engage
with the next generation.
To kick it off,
I would love for each of you
to give a brief introduction
about what your current role is
and what it entails.
Let's start with you, Crystal.
Hey, I'm Crystal Johnson.
I'm the deputy center director
for research and technology
here at Goddard Space
Flight Center.
I'm responsible
for shaping the missions
of the future in astrophysics,
earth, science, heliophysics
and planetary science,
and then making sure
we have a portfolio
of technology investments
to make sure that we can enable
those amazing missions
that we're
creating for the future.
Hear me.
Okay. Now,
I'm Sandra Coffman
and I am the deputy director
for the Astrophysics Division
within the Science Mission
Directorate headquarters.
And we are responsible
for the entire universe
except for one star, a planet
and a few rocks.
And that's all I can say.
My name is Mamta
Patel Nagarajan,
and I'm the associate
chief scientist
at Headquarters for Exploration
and Applied Research.
And my job is to advise
the chief scientist
in any area
where humans are doing
science in space.
So that could be on
the ISS or future
missions to the moon
through our Artemus program
as well.
And Chris,
and you've already
heard from me
as deputy
associate administrator
for STEM engagement.
I have the fabulous job
of of leading our team
across the agency and inspiring
and engaging students
and supporting educators
and educational institutions.
It's a great way
for me
to give back
after years of service
and engineering
and and to really do something
I'm very passionate about.
Well, thank you so much.
And thank you
for sharing
about your current work
that you're doing.
And I know that each of
you have powerful stories
to tell about
your paths and careers.
Could you briefly touch on
notable moments
of your journeys
and particularly
how it all started?
Chris, let's start with me.
Yeah,
So for me,
I always
I always talk
about how it all started
because I grew up
in a teeny tiny town
in rural Pennsylvania
and was the first person
in my family to go to college.
And for me,
the path to stem started
when my dad brought home
a Lego set
that I think
was about six
years old at the time.
And through through
that, really,
I started
to discover a real interest
and affinity to building things
and and that creativity
and led to me
drawing and designing
and into art and I ended up
thinking that
I eventually wanted
to be an architect.
And so I started
in architecture
as an architecture major
at Virginia Tech
and, and about,
I guess about a year
in realized that
I really had
more of an affinity for,
for the
tangible building of things
through engineering.
And that has been, in a sense,
a thread as I
as I look back so far
on my career, it's
been a thread for me
that, that I have
been an architect,
a creator,
an innovator, and in that
that inherent
creativity in the work
that we do
is something
that I talk about
with, with our audiences,
with students,
and with educators.
I think engineers
I think sometimes
get a little bit of a bad
rap, right?
Stereotypically in that we're
we're we're geeky
and we're not creative
and we think inside the box.
And that's
that's actually the antithesis
of what really happens
is that
we're thinking out of the box
scientists as well
and technologists.
And so
I try to convey
that with students
as much as I can to to
to talk about the attraction
of literally
how exciting it is
to work in a team.
And we've all had
this experience
where you're creating
something that that
didn't exist,
an idea that somebody had.
And there
there's so much richness
in the work that we do.
So for me, it started.
I thought that I wanted
to be a computer scientist,
a computer engineer
in the very beginning,
and I was a part
of the Lincoln Aerospace
Engineering
Recruitment program,
which was at
Lincoln University.
And so
in that first summer,
right out of high school,
they require you
to go work at NASA facility
because it was a program
sponsored by NASA.
And so
we were required to do that.
And the center that I chose
was Langley Research Center.
And so we
we go there
and they said that
I was assigned
to a physics lab,
and I was like, physics
What in the world
what in the world
would I do with physics?
And what are we going to do
for the summer, for physics?
I was really disappointed
because I was a lifeguard
in Virginia Beach.
That's where I grew up.
And so all my friends
were going to be spending
the summer doing
lifeguarding at the pools
or at the beach.
And I was really upset
because I thought
I was going to be
really missing out
this particular summer.
So I go to Langley
Research Center.
They walk me to
to the lab
that I'm supposed
to be working on,
and there's this danger
hazardous laser insides on.
And I'm like, What in the world
am I getting myself into?
And so then
the guy opens the door
and he's like, okay,
put these goggles on
and don't lean down
to the level of the table
because they're stray
laser light
going around the room.
And if it hits you in your eye,
it can blind you.
And I was like,
What in the world
am I doing here?
This is not what
I signed up for.
And so we go in further,
and this was back in the day
when in the labs, you know,
we were the lab coats
with the big sleeves.
And so
the guy leans over to adjust
one of the measures
of the laser.
And I hear pop up pop
and there's smoke
because he got a sleeve
in the path of the laser.
And then I was like, Yes,
this is the feel for me.
You get to shoot
lasers around the room,
put holes and stuff.
I thought that was really cool.
And so as a part of that,
we realized
I realized that in
this kind of field,
you are paid to think
no matter where you are.
And the environment
that was created for us
at Langley and Laser
Research and Development,
we would actually be in the lab
trying to see
if we were creating
new laser materials.
And so we would
look at a material.
We'd do the testing for
it would try to make it work.
If we couldn't make it work,
we'd all hop in our cars.
We go to the mall
and we people watch
or have ice cream
and somebody would come up
with an idea
and we'd run back to the lab
and try it out.
Or one of my coworkers
had a boat,
and so we'd go out on the boat,
we'd have our laptops on
the boat,
we'd take a dive in
and somebody come up
with an idea.
We would work
until late into the night
because it was
all about creativity.
It was all about
being able
to come up with ideas.
And we were so productive
in that particular laser lab.
So for me,
that opened up
a whole new way
of thinking for me,
realizing that it's all about
thinking outside the box,
trying things
in a way that nobody else
has ever tried them.
And for me
to have a career doing that,
I was like, I'm sold.
So every summer after that,
I came back to NASA
and then they hired me
after I finished
my master's program
school.
Like, thank you.
So
I can say that minus started
with the moon
landing, Apollo 11
and a single mother
who who never gave up.
And I have to say that
when when I saw that,
it just grabbed me.
It was just
something that
really inspired me.
I was born in Costa Rica,
and when I saw that,
it was like
I got to go to the moon.
Of course
I never went to the moon
and I don't like heights
and you know,
that's not my thing.
But but that that moment,
you know, I told my mom
I wanted to go to the moon.
And the lady kept reminding me
every time I was doing
something bad, you know,
I remember
you want to go to the moon,
you got out,
you got to apply yourself,
you got to study, you got to,
you know,
and not repeat history
because, you know,
she grew up an orphan and
and she had to, you know, self
was herself made
but
went to all public schools
in Costa Rico.
And I got to college Finally
they told me I couldn't study
electrical engineering
because I was women
and their boyfriend.
They were like 50 years behind,
behind the time.
So I
they they wanted
they wanted me to study
industrial engineering,
which was the only engineering
that was accepting women.
I wanted to study electrical.
And so
I spent three
and a half years in,
uh, in industrial engineering,
and I tried to transfer
a couple of times
and still I couldn't do it.
So I came here
and that was October.
This year will be 40 years ago.
And I know I went back,
but, you know,
when I got my first job
as a contractor for Naza
was just the best
day of my life.
It was just amazing.
I graduated with electrical
and physics in
the next month, by the way,
I went to a job fair
and I
interviewed with a company
and I was just thrilled.
And then
one day I got a phone call
from some guy
named Principal Dana.
And, uh, he
he asked me
if I wanted to go
work with him,
and I was like, Yes,
of course I want to go and work
for NASA, you know? So
this February, I had
my, uh,
my 32nd year
anniversary working,
and I started with Cepi,
and it was just such a treat,
you know, to work with him.
But, you know,
doing it,
following on the theme
decrease increased.
You know,
it is doing the right thing
and never give up
and never giving up.
And that is what I always
tell the students
when I go and talk to them is,
is that the
nature of your birth
doesn't dictate
the person that you can become.
Does it matter?
Where you come from is
and it doesn't matter
where you get your education
is what you do
with the education
that you received.
And uh,
uh, in,
in, in with persistence
and perseverance,
you can be anybody
that you want to be
when at least get as far
as you can
trying to do what you can.
And I try to mix
the space program
with life because, you know,
failure is not
an option, right?
And so when things
are going bad
and we have failures in the lab
and everything,
we keep on trying and trying
and trying
until something works.
Otherwise,
if we had given up
at the first no,
we wouldn't
have never launched,
not even the first thing.
Right?
So we have to keep on trying.
And I try to tell,
you know, the students
is something
that you have to
keep on trying.
You cannot just give up
at the first note,
keep on trying and
and and
and it's not repeating
the same thing.
You know,
you have to reinvent
yourself again to try again,
but you create
your opportunities.
And and
I think it is very important
that we have role models and
and show
as students out there
that it doesn't
matter who you are,
if they have a dream, they can
they can try to make it true
or at least get
as far as they can in life.
My gosh, my story,
like Chris
and I didn't know this
and I know Chris.
I love how you learn something
every time you attend
one of these events.
I also grew up in a small town,
not nearly as teeny
tiny as Chris's town,
I imagine,
but mine was in West Texas,
and I too,
am a first generation
college graduate
and our family as well.
And my parents
were immigrants from India,
and we ran a little motel.
And so we're not
talking for seasons
and we're not talking
even holiday
and we're talking like
like the ones
in the scary movies
that you were avoiding.
That's the kind of motel
we ran, but not scary.
But that's what it was like.
And my parents quickly,
they were in the cycle
of poverty, generation
after generation in India,
and they
they were stuck in that cycle.
And so I think
their biggest goal
was to get us out of the cycle.
And I still remember
cleaning motel rooms
with my parents
and I can
I can still visualize
and hear
my mom's voice
from the bathroom.
And she says,
if you don't want
to clean toilets like me.
Mamta to
and this was in our
native language,
not in English, but
same inflection.
We don't want to clean
toilets like me,
then you better do
well in school.
And so I think that was
just sort of
how my life started.
I knew
that I was going to focus on
my studies
and I didn't want
to clean toilets
for the rest of my life.
And so that was sort of
that was it.
And we didn't
so we didn't have much.
And my parents
fixed everything on their own.
I still remember
tapping sewer lines
with my dad.
GROSS So.
GROSS
But I learned
how to tap a sewer line
cleaning.
I mean, well,
we did a whole lot of cleaning,
but fixing refrigerators.
And my mom had this
really amazing talent
long before
I knew how important it was
to have female role models.
I had one right there
in front of me.
My dad would
he had the mechanical,
tactile capabilities.
He would open up
a broken refrigerator
and she could just
look at the wires
and she couldn't do it herself.
She didn't have the tactile,
but she'd say,
I bet
if you connect that wire
to that wire,
that one
that was going to work,
my dad would look at her
and the fridge worked.
It was amazing.
So I had this
just early life
experience of seeing the way
they work together
and my dad's incredible
respect for my mom,
which I think set
the standard for me in life
well before this is me
reflecting well before
I knew how important that was.
But yeah,
I think that's just
sort of how it started.
And then I started
doing it with them
and that led me
to a life of engineering.
And then I crossed
into science,
which people think
you can't do,
but you can
because I did it,
my current position
as a scientist position.
So I think that was sort
of how my career path went.
Wow, Thank you
so much for sharing with us
how it all started
and specifically
the stories and the wisdom
within those stories,
which reminds me
of the theme of Women's
History Month
this year,
which is celebrating women
who tell our stories.
What does that mean to you?
Let's start with you, Krystal.
So I think
Chris really captured it
really well in her
opening remarks.
And so
women who tell their stories,
it's important for all of us.
It's not just women, but
especially women,
because so many of us
kind of run into challenges
and we suffer in silence.
When you hear
the stories of others,
you realize you're
not in this alone.
You're not in
a unique situation.
So many times
I've heard women say, well,
we you know,
things are different
for you
in the federal government
than they are in
private industry
or they're different from you.
You don't have the
same kind of problems
we have in academia
that we have an industry.
And the more
I listen to all of them,
the more similar,
the more
the same it sounded to me.
And so when you actually
when a woman is bold enough
to tell her story and not care
what people think about her,
but just share your story.
There are so many people
that are helped by that
because every
that the people listening
realize, okay,
so this is not just me
that's going through this.
And then when you hear
how they overcame
whatever it was
they're going through,
then you actually have hope
to realize, hey,
there is a light
at the end of this tunnel.
There are things that I can do.
There are people
I can reach out to.
There are mentors
that can help me.
And so it's just helpful
all the way around for people
to listen to the stories
and for people to be willing
to tell their stories.
Both of those are important.
Amazing.
Thank you so much for that.
And someone also
mentioned the term role models.
You know,
how have you acted
as a STEM mentor
or guide
or engage with students?
And how has that role impacted
you and your community?
Sandra Oh, wow.
Well, so I've made it my life
mission to change
things in Costa Rica.
I came to the States in 83
and I had
the opportunity
to go back in 98
and they were still not at
the meeting.
Women
in electrical engineering
or other
engineering is just industrial.
So I was like,
This has got to change,
you know?
And so I made it
my like mission to change it.
And I did.
And now that I'm more women
in engineering in Costa Rica
than than
ever before, in fact,
I think there are more
women than men.
But one particular incident
that always resonates
with me is I.
In that trip 98,
I went to Intel, had a plant,
and this little girl
was in front
facing her,
him asking questions.
And while I was talking
and to ask so many questions
and, you know,
and I remember her vividly,
you know,
because she had
so many questions.
So flash forward, I'm here.
I went to AC
and this young lady touches
my shoulder
and she's like,
I don't know
if you remember me,
but I was at Intel,
a presentation that you gave,
and I raised my hand
so many times.
I had so many questions
and you answer them
all patiently.
And she says,
because of that, your patience
and in your example
and everything,
I am about
to get my doctorate now
and you know, in and, you know,
and so that's one individual,
you know,
the same thing,
you know, in
my local community.
I live in Arlington, Virginia.
You know, I go to the schools.
I have a
standing
yearly visit with
some of the science teachers,
and I go in
and talk to the classes.
I spend the whole day.
I do the whole classes,
and I don't think
I can be a teacher.
I don't know how they do it.
I admire what they do.
But, you know,
I go through all of the blocks
and I and I and I
and I teach all the blocks
and I
you know,
I tell them why
that what we do,
why we do it,
why it's important.
And I repeat it
all, all the blocks, you know,
and I do this every year.
And a lot of kids
are, you know,
going to high school and,
you know, trying to
sponsor them to be interns.
We I started this program
here in in a daughter
and I took it to to daughter.
This is the senior experience.
And so
it started with my high school
and my sons went to school.
And the
last three weeks of their
senior year, they can come
and intern for three weeks and,
you know,
I find mentors for them.
And we got that role in that.
We don't have to pay.
We don't have to advertise.
We can just just can
somebody be our mentor
for three weeks
for some kid
who is interested in
in what we do?
And so when
I went to headquarters,
I brought it to headquarters.
And now
the divisions
and everybody are interested
in having this
so, you know,
coming over and everything.
And in the other thing
I also have done is
I was a founding member of the
A distinguished mentor.
And so, you know,
we get a lot of calls and,
you know, in go
and mentor students.
And that's just,
you know, talking to schools
and high schools and colleges
and and and things of the sort
that in general,
I also
always have, you know,
three, four or five mentees
that I'm mentoring,
you know, women across
the agency and in men, too.
I mean, I mentor both of those.
And, you know, so
I think it is such a
enriching opportunity
because I think
the mentee benefits
as much as the mentor
and, you know, and
and you learn from them
and they and
and and they learn from you,
you know,
and so it is just so,
so nice to
to have somebody on your show
that said, I
you inspired me or
or helping somebody
you know
further career to
or lending a hand
in provide an opportunity
to see what we do.
I mean all of that is is just a
very nice
amazing and
it's so inspiring
to see the impact
that can be had.
And along those same lines,
anyone can jump in.
But we'll start with Munter.
Can you share a story
about a time where you engage
with students
or young people
and noticed a real impact?
Yeah.
So I think
and it goes back to Crystal,
something you said
when we tell our stories,
I had to really learn
how to tell my story.
I didn't think I had a story.
And then somebody says,
you know,
somebody told me
everyone has a story
and somebody had to pull it
out of me
and really
got me to think about my story
and who I had become
and what shaped me.
And I think it does
take a certain bravery,
at least if you're like me,
I don't
want to talk about myself
and I don't want to
get up on a stage
and tell you about me
because I just think I'm me.
But somebody can
pull it out of you.
And it definitely I have got
I have had to learn it
and I've had to
become brave enough to say it.
But the rewarding part of it,
I've told it enough
and in front of enough diverse
audiences that somehow
I've started to attract.
And I think it's
because I just told my story.
But a lot of young women
and a lot of people of color
and the vast
majority of the people
who approach me
come from lower
socioeconomic upbringings,
and that has been a reward.
It's been helpful for them,
but it has been
incredibly rewarding for me
just to have
those relationships,
most of them on email,
because a lot of them
are younger or face time.
I mean, they
they connect through
so many different ways
than how I would have connected
with a mentor
going into somebody's office
and thinking
that was the only way
to have a mentor.
But these
the young generation,
they find all sorts of ways
to find you and talk to you.
And a lot of them
have just been back and forth.
So I'll ask questions and
can I face time with you
and will face time
on the weekend?
But helping them just know
somebody else said it,
that they're not alone.
So the one specific thing
I'll tell you about is
I was talking
to a group of kids
who came from
immigrant families.
You can understand
why I was asked to
to talk to them.
And one of them came on and she
it was obvious that
she needed to ask me something
so intimate for her.
She got real
close up to the company
and it was it was virtual.
She got real
close up to the computer
and she said,
I'm just different
than everybody around me.
I'm just different.
I just know that I am.
How did you handle that?
So I told her this story,
which Chris,
you might remember,
because I
told it for the first time
on a stage
for an education event.
But I remember being little
and the kids
making comments
about how I smelled.
I didn't even know I smelled
and I wouldn't have.
So that made me not want people
to come to my house
because then I figured out
my house smelled.
You know what that smell was,
Kirby Yeah,
that smell was Carrie.
But in 1980s America,
nobody knew Cari
and nobody knew that
they loved Carrie.
You said that
now people would be like,
That sounds like an awesome
lunch, right?
But back then, it wasn't.
So I told her.
Then you could just immediately
see the relief on her face
like it was okay
to be different.
She wasn't the only one.
And maybe someday
people will understand
and accept her better.
But it was just having
that connection to somebody
I think
was really important for her.
And then for me to be able
to go back into my childhood
and realize everything's okay.
Like it's
okay that I smell of fact,
then totally fine.
That's also rewarding.
It's gratifying for myself
to just to come full circle
and those realize those moments
aren't
the ones that define you.
They feel like
they do at age six,
but they really don't.
Yeah, so there's one
particular example for me.
I was invited to come to Oprah
Winfrey School,
her school for her girls
in South Africa,
and she really wanted
the young girls to see
someone that looked like them,
that was actually successful
and that could be someone
that they could talk to
and get some advice from.
And this was associated
with the Office
of STEM Education.
So the STEM office
was conducting
an event at the school as well.
So we had a competition
of the young girls,
but the dean of the school
came to me and said, Crystal,
there is this one girl
that we don't understand
what is happening with her.
And all of the girls
are from very, very,
very low income,
you know, tribe, tribal areas.
And so
our communities, I will say,
and so this young girl,
all of them were
doing really well
and they're on their trajectory
to go to college.
But this one had
they could not
get her to commit
to going to college
and they didn't know
what had happened.
And it was her senior year.
So they were like,
we don't know what to do here.
So I got
we were in an auditorium.
I got her
and pulled her over to the side
just to have a conversation
with her face to face.
And long story short,
she did not want
to go to college
because her parents
didn't want her to go.
They wanted her to
work in the community
so that she could
bring five more sense
to the table
for their family's dollar
that they were going to make
in the course of a month.
So she was very interested in
and I teach security.
And so I said, okay,
so here's the deal.
If you can allow your parents
to be upset with you
for just a couple of years,
let me explain to you
the benefit you can have,
not just for your family,
but for your whole community.
And so I told her
this is the amount of money
that you can make
as soon as you
come out of school
in this particular field.
And I translated it
for the dollars
that they make there.
And then I said,
and just imagine
that their family
had never lived in a house.
They were,
you know,
pretty much in a little chanty.
They had never had
a car whatsoever.
So I said,
for the first time,
your family,
your parents can live
an actual house,
you can have a car
to transport them
from one place to the next.
And imagine if you were able
to build a community center
that could help
the whole community
and no one else is able
to do that.
Just imagine the change
and the uplifting
you can do
for the whole community
because you're willing to
let your parents be mad
for the amount of time
that you'll be in college.
You don't even
need their support to go
because it's already
covered for you.
You just have to go.
You have to do well.
And so she said, okay,
I think I know
what I need to do.
And so her
dean of the school later
came to me and said,
We don't know what you said.
We don't know what you did,
but you changed this
girl's life forever.
And those are
the kind of things for me
that makes my job so much worth
the outreach
that I do all the time.
I'm so happy to do it
when people ask me
to come and speak.
Amazing.
Thank you so much
for sharing that and showing
how you can change the future
for a family, for someone.
And that's just so important.
Along those lines,
I do want to take
a turn as well and ask Chris
what types of opportunities
are you hoping
to see the national
workforce engage in?
A great question.
There's a broad spectrum
of opportunities and activities
that you can get involved with
that are inherently designed
to engage with students.
You can serve
as a massive mentor
for an intern.
It's not too late
to sign up for that.
And we have internships that go
all three, essentially
all three semesters
of the year.
So we'd love
for you to do that.
We have a range of STEM
engagement
events and activities
that we do
that include student
challenges and competitions.
We always
need judges and guides
for those
and in fact we have,
I think about nine of them
that have culminating events
over the next couple,
three months.
And I know that they need help.
So we would love
folks to sign up for those.
We have opportunities
with partners and partnerships.
We have partnerships
with the Girl Scouts,
million women
mentors and million
girls Moonshot
are some examples,
but there are
a lot of afterschool programs
and activities
that I am sure
are in your communities
and having a chance for them
to hear from someone from NASA
or to have them have
a NASA
employee
come in
and be part of
something that they're doing
I think is a very
powerful experience
both for them and for us.
So there are
library activities,
clubs, girls
who, code is a good example.
Girls typically
do much better when
they're working
with other girls,
and so there are a lot
of activities and clubs
and those organizations
that are devoted
to that kind of work as well.
So I just encourage you
to reach out,
look at our our site.
But also you can reach out
to our points of contact
in the offices
of STEM Engagement
at the centers.
And they can also provide
some examples of some things
that you might want
to get involved in.
Amazing.
And those sound like
amazing opportunities
to get involved in.
And I do want to
leave our audience
with just some advice,
something to get us going.
So just going down
the panel, I'd love to know
what advice
would you give to those
who are ready to go out
and serve
as role models and mentors?
Mentor
I would say start small,
so if you feel intimidated,
you're not sure
how much time it'll take.
You're not sure
if you have the time
you're busy
or you don't really
want to tell your story.
Go small.
If you have children,
go to their school, start
with their classroom.
If you don't have children,
maybe a neighbor has a kid
whose classroom
would love to have you.
Those are probably the least
intimidating in terms of it's
not a big stage.
It's but it's
really rewarding, man.
And if you want to get stumped,
I do a kindergarten classroom
because they will ask you
the hardest questions
that that and it's
just when you walk out.
I would be shocked
if came out and said that
you didn't feel
a little bit of warmth
talking to young students.
They will remind you
sometimes we get into these
like work as work
sort of mode, sorry,
go talk to kids
and they'll remind you
how cool your job is.
So everything that mom does it,
of course.
But NASA's has a speakers
bureau, too.
So if you don't really want to,
you know,
take on a mentor mentee
because of time,
but you have time for
for one off,
you know, sign up
for the emails and volunteer
to go to school
one time
I'll college,
I'll go and give a talk,
you know, and, and that is
very inviting.
But the other
advice, you know,
if you do want to take a mentee
that I want to give you,
I want to give you advice that
I got a long time ago
and is that that
you are the mentor
and you're
not there to tell them
what to do
and in your job
is to extract from them
what is it
that they want to do?
And unfortunately, you know,
some mentors
feel like
they have to tell people,
you have to do these
and you have to do that and,
you know,
ask the questions, ask the the
the questions
that are going to
be able to to bring out
what is it that the path
and what is it
that they want to
end up doing but
refrain from from
from making judgment
and telling them
exactly what they need to do
because that is where you
would like to go,
but not with the person
will like to go. So
yeah, that's
really, really good point
for for me,
mentoring really
is about
you doing all that
you can to enable
other people
to achieve their dreams,
you know,
and helping them by removing
but helping them
to remove barriers
and helping them
to kind of navigate through
sometimes shark
infested waters.
It's really
giving them
a different set of eyes
from a different vantage point.
But the one thing
that I would say
that is really,
really important
for anyone who's
thinking about being a mentor,
really think about the place
that you're coming from
and doing it
because there are
some really wonderful,
effective mentors
and there are some
that are not so effective
and so you really have
to be comfortable
and it has to be coming
from a place of love
to tell you
the God's honest truth.
It really
it has to be about you
caring about that person.
And if someone is pressuring
you to mentor
or to get,
you know,
enroll in this program,
don't do it
because somebody else
wants you to do it.
It really has to be something
that you're passionate
about in terms
of being able to help others.
So take that time to pause.
If you're not comfortable,
it's okay.
You don't have to do this.
It really, really needs to be
something that you're
passionate about
in order for you
to to be effective.
Because if you're not
the person you're
mentoring will feel it.
And they will get to a place
where they say,
this whole mentoring thing
doesn't work for me.
And so that's anti
what we're trying
to accomplish.
So everything that
you all shared, of course
resonates with me
tremendously in terms
of the things
we we really want
all of you to consider.
I think
what strikes me
most is that
when I talk to students about
trying on, I'll talk about
putting on their explorer hats
and trying on some new things
and not being afraid
of trying on those new things.
So, Mom, to what you said,
it applies to us too, right?
Is that is
trying on something new
with respect
to reaching out
to someone
whose early career or
or who is a student that is
may maybe new territory
for some of you
but I think
trying on a few
different things
and finding finding in a sense
your your path
I think could be
a really great way
to look at it.
And I guess I just go back
to what I started with is
telling your stories.
The the
the work we do at
NASA is so exciting,
if you think about it.
I'm just
replaying what happened
with James Webb Space Telescope
there's not too long ago
and how it literally captured
imaginations of people
all across the globe.
And in the end, yes, it's it's
the it's the work
excuse me and the discovery
that is exciting.
And compelling.
But I'd venture to say
it was the human story
behind it, the people behind it
who devoted years
and years of their lives
to do their life's work.
And how compelling
and and
and inspirational that is.
And so I would say
apply that kind of look at
look at yourselves
to say my story in my.
But I think you said it
and I the same with me I just
what's my story right.
But there have been
so many experiences
that I've had one on one
with students,
but also with groups
of students
where you can actually see
that spark.
You can actually see them
starting to
shift or envision
themselves in a way that
they didn't
when you when you started
and you don't really know
how you're going
to touch a student
or have that impact.
But but you do.
And I just encourage
you all to think about it.
And I think it's like
one of you said
what you give,
you get back as well.
It is a just a rich,
wonderful experience.
And I hope that you will will
join us.
I guess one
last thing is
we're really trying to drive
systemic change in the work
we do in STEM engagement,
particularly in NASA's
investments in what we do.
We're trying to do
to make that impact at a scale.
And that's what this initiative
is really about,
is building
that community of people who
who are engaged and committed
to doing this work.
And again,
I hope that you'll all join us.
Thank you.
And there's
just so much incredible
wisdom and knowledge
amongst these panelists.
That is all the time we have.
But I did want to
thank you
for just sharing
your experiences
and your insight.
This has really been
just a powerful discussion.
What an impact we going to have
when our communities
get together
and what's possible
when we share our stories.
So please
join me in thanking
our panelists.
Woman at NASA have built
a tremendous legacy
of achievements
in exploration and discovery
over the agency's history.
And our community of women
today
are forging new innovations
and discoveries
that will have their place
in history.
This Women's History Month,
we encourage you to explore
how you might
share your story,
to inspire, connect
and support
the next generation of women
in STEM.
Through NASA's Women in Summer
2023 Initiative,
please refer to Deputy
Administrator Mallory's message
on how to get involved today.
This concludes our program.
And thank you for joining us.