>> HEY, I'M DENIZ BURNHAM,
I'M A DRILLING ENGINEER,
AND I'M ALSO A LIEUTENANT
IN THE U.S. NAVY RESERVES,
AND NOW I'M A NASA
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE.
SURE, THAT'S A, UH, COMPLICATED
QUESTION FOR ME.
UH, MY PARENTS
WERE BOTH IN THE MILITARY,
AND SO I WAS BORN
IN INCIRLIK AIR BASE, TURKEY,
AND EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS,
I MOVED AROUND.
UH, I CURRENTLY RESIDE
IN WASILLA, ALASKA.
BEFORE BEING SELECTED, UM,
I WORKED ON OIL RIGS, UH,
IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS.
UM, I STARTED OFF
IN THE ARCTIC.
I WORKED IN CANADA, OHIO,
WYOMING, AND TEXAS.
UM, I'M ALSO-- EH,
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF SURGEMAIN ALAMEDA,
AND, UH, THEN AT THE NAVAL
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT CENTER
IN ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.
A NASA ASTRONAUT TO ME
IS AN EXPLORER AT HEART.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE
THE VERY EMBODIMENT OF IT.
UM, YOU GET TO INSPIRE PEOPLE
FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEEN
A LIFELONG DREAM FOR ME.
UM, MY GRANDFATHER,
WHO WAS BORN IN 1927,
AND HE HAD
TWO MAIN LOVES IN LIFE:
HE LIKED BICYCLES
AND HE LIKED TELESCOPES,
AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE
THAT HE SHARED HIS, UH, LOVE
OF TELESCOPES WITH ME.
UH, SO FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE,
GETTING TO LOOK THROUGH
MY GRANDFATHER'S TELESCOPE
AND SEE, LIKE, MARS,
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE SIZE
OF MY PINKY NAIL, UH,
IT KINDA TOUCHED
MY HEART DIFFERENTLY.
NASA, TO ME, IS ONE OF
THE FEW ORGANIZATIONS
THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH
YOU'RE REPRESENTING AMERICA,
YOU DO GET TO INSPIRE PEOPLE
FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
UM, MY MOM-- OR, AT LEAST,
MY MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY
IS TURKISH,
AND, UH, DOESN'T MATTER
WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD,
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT NASA.
UM...
SO YEAH, I MEAN,
I FELT LIKE THEY'RE HIGHLY
MOTIVATED PEOPLE AT NASA,
WE ALL HAVE A SHARED VISION
AND PASSIONS FOR EXPLORATION,
UH, I WOULD JUST BE HONORED
TO KINDA SERVE ALONGSIDE
WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
SURE, UH, THE SELECTION
PROCESS ITSELF, UM,
IT WAS PRETTY LONG.
IT'S A COUPLE YEAR LONG PROCESS.
I-- IT STARTS OFF WITH, UH,
YOU APPLYING TO USA JOBS,
UH, SO YOU FILL OUT,
LIKE, YOUR RESUME,
AND THEN, UH, YOU WAIT,
UH, TO HEAR BACK.
YOUR REFERENCES GET CONTACTED,
AND THEN YOU GET INVITED
TO THE FIRST-ROUND INTERVIEW,
WHICH WAS, UH, MAYBE
A COUPLE DAY PROCESS,
UH, AND THEN YOU,
UH, GET CALLED BACK
TO A SECOND-ROUND INTERVIEW,
WHICH WAS A LOT LONGER,
ABOUT A WEEK-LONG PROCESS.
UM, THERE WAS ALL SORTS
OF TESTING INVOLVED,
RANGING FROM, LIKE,
WRITTEN TESTS
TO MAYBE PSYCHOLOGICAL, UM,
PHYSICAL, UM,
CONSTANTLY BEING MONITORED.
GOOD TIMES ALL AROUND.
SURE, UH, SO WHEN I SAW
A NUMBER POP UP ON MY PHONE,
UH, IT'S A, YOU KNOW,
HOUSTON AREA CODE.
UM, WORKING IN OIL AND GAS,
GETTING A CALL FROM HOUSTON
IS NOT ABNORMAL,
SO I DIDN'T
IMMEDIATELY ASSOCIATE IT.
BUT AT THE TIME OF THE MORNING,
I WAS THINKING, LIKE, OH MAN,
THIS COULD BE IT,
WE HAD BEEN WAITING A WHILE
FOR A CALL.
UM, IT WAS REED ON THE LINE,
AND, UH, WHEN HE ACTUALLY
KINDA SAID THAT IT'S A YES,
I MEAN, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I DEFINITELY GOT EMOTIONAL,
BUT I KINDA ALTERNATED
BETWEEN LAUGHING, CRYING,
LAUGHING AND CRYING
AT THE SAME TIME,
KINDA MIX IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, ANNE WAS ALSO ON THE LINE,
SO IT WAS KIND OF
A-A GREAT MOMENT,
UM, AND, UH, DEFINITELY
A LOT OF DISBELIEF.
SURE, UM, MY MOM IS DEFINITELY
A MAIN INSPIRATION IN MY LIFE.
UM, SHE EMIGRATED FROM TURKEY.
AND, UH, WOMEN WERE NOT ALLOWED
IN THE MILITARY THERE,
AND THAT WAS
HER LIFELONG DREAM,
AND SO, UM, SHE, UH,
I-I WATCHED MY MOM
GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE,
I WATCHED MY MOM
COMMISSIONED AS AN OFFICER
IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE,
UH, AND SO, IT DEFINITELY
INSPIRED ME TO BE BOLD
AND PURSUE MY OWN PASSIONS,
LIKE, 100% EFFORT.
UM, I WOULDN'T TRADE
MY MENTORS FOR THE WORLD.
UM...
I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT,
UH, WHEN SOMETHING MEANS
A LOT TO YOU,
YOU DO WANNA PROTECT IT,
KEEP IT CLOSE TO YOUR HEART,
BUT ULTIMATELY, UH,
WHEN YOU FIND SOMEBODY
THAT DOES CARE,
HELPS YOU PURSUE YOUR DREAMS,
UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY
KIND OF THE MOST RELAY--
UH, IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS
YOU CAN DEVELOP IS HAVING THAT
MENTOR/MENTEE RELATIONSHIP.
THEY WILL BE THE ONES
THAT MAKE SURE YOU'RE
STAYING ON THE RIGHT PATH, UH,
AND IT'S OKAY TO KIND OF FUMBLE,
BUT ALWAYS THEY WILL HELP YOU,
LIKE, GET BACK UP
AND GET BACK ON TRACK.
OH, I'M SUPER EXCITED.
I'M, UH, THE LITTLE BIT
OF DISBELIEF MIXED IN,
DEFINITELY THRILLED,
READY TO GET GOING
WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO, LIVING IN WASILLA, ALASKA,
PROBABLY THE M-THE MOST
NORMAL THING THAT WE DO
IS WE HAVE TO GO SNOWBLOWING.
WELL, UH, I THINK WITH
THE, UH, ARTEMIS PROGRAM,
ACTUALLY GETTING TO LEAVE
THE LOWER EARTH ORBIT, UM,
AND CONTINUE
EXPLORING OUT FURTHER,
THAT'S, LIKE,
SUPER EXCITING TIMES.
UM, IT'S A GREAT TIME
TO BE INVOLVED WITH SPACE.
THE EXPERIENCE IN GENERAL,
I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT
YOU'VE DREAMED ABOUT IT
FOR SO LONG,
ACTUALLY GETTING TO KIND OF
EXECUTE THE PLAN, UM,
WHATEVER MISSION
YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH,
UM, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW,
AT THIS POINT,
YOU'RE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS
OF OTHERS, RIGHT?
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY
THAT OTHERS CAN STAND
ON YOUR SHOULDERS,
SO CONTINUING TO BUILD THAT
PATH FORWARD, UH, FOR PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING.
UH, SO I'M VERY PASSIONATE
ABOUT FLYING.
I HAVE MY HELICOPTER LICENSE,
MY FIXED-WING LICENSE, SEAPLANE,
UM, I FLY PARAGLIDERS,
PARAMOTORS,
UH, I'VE DONE HANG-GLIDING,
UH, I LOVE TO BE
OUTDOORS EXPLORING.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT,
UH, PROBABLY A LOT OF US KIND OF
CARRY THAT IN OUR HEART,
THAT SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION
AND, UH, THAT'S THE KIND OF WAY
I EXPRESS IT.
YOU HAVE TO BE RESILIENT.
YOU CAN NEVER GIVE UP.
THIS WAS NOT
MY FIRST APPLICATION, UH,
SO DO NOT SELF-ELIMINATE.
YOU MUST ALWAYS KEEP TRYING,
KEEP BETTERING YOURSELF.
I THINK WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT IS
THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SEEK THESE
LIFE-ENHANCING EXPERIENCES,
UH, ENJOY THE RIDE, RIGHT?
ENJOY THE JOURNEY, UM,
EVEN IF YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT,
IT WAS STILL JUST
A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE
IN GENERAL WITH LIFE.
OH, I THINK, FOR ME,
IT WOULD BE, LIKE,
TO GO TO THE MOON?
UH, YOU KNOW,
MY GRANDFATHER AND I
HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP,
AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
THAT WAS HIS GENER-- WELL,
IT WAS AFTER HIS GENERATION,
BUT HE GOT TO AT LEAST
WITNESS IT IN HIS LIFETIME,
PEOPLE WALKING ON THE MOON,
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING
THAT I'VE EVER SEEN
IN MY LIFETIME.
UH, WE'VE ONLY WATCHED
FOOTAGE OF IT, RIGHT?
SO I THINK, UH, IT'LL BE
A VERY SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
TO BE ABLE TO SHARE
WITH MY FAMILY
THAT CAN RELATE TO IT.
SO, I WOULD SHARE
THAT REPETITION IS
THE MOTHER OF ALL LEARNING,
AS IS REPETITION.
YOU MUST KEEP PRACTICING.
UH, I FIND THAT
VISUALIZATION HELPS,
SO MAKE NOTECARDS
AND, UH, KEEP PRACTICING
UNTIL IT'S SECOND NATURE.
UH, WELL, MY GRANDFATHER
DID ALSO HAVE
A BIG INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE.
HE WAS A VERY, UH,
CURIOUS PERSON,
SO HE COULD, LIKE,
BUILD ANYTHING, UM,
AND HE ALSO, UH, HAD
THAT LOVE OF ASTRONOMY.
SO FOR ME, IT WAS JUST
GETTING TO KIND OF HANG OUT.
UM, HAVING THAT DESIRE
TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
DEFINITELY MADE ME WANNA
PURSUE STEM REGARDLESS,
UNTIL I KIND OF FIGURED OUT
EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
SO AS FAR AS THE CHALLENGE THAT
I HAD TO OVERCOME IN SCHOOL,
I WOULD SAY THAT
WHEN YOU TRANSITION FROM,
LIKE, HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE,
UH, IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME
TO, LIKE, LEARN HOW
TO BALANCE THE SCHEDULES, UH,
MAYBE NOT OVERLOADING
YOUR CLASSES.
UM, I ALSO WORKED WHILE
GOING TO SCHOOL,
AND SO KIND OF HAVING THESE
OTHER THINGS TO BALANCE, UM,
WHILE TRYING TO STILL
PRIORITIZE YOUR STUDIES.
IT CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING.
UH, SO, JUST MY DESIRE
TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
IS WHAT I KIND OF THOUGHT
THAT ENGINEERING
WAS THE BEST PATH FOR THIS.
I CHOSE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
BECAUSE I DID ENJOY CHEMISTRY,
UH, IN HIGH SCHOOL,
AND THEN FOR MY MASTERS,
I DECIDED TO PURSUE
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,
ONLY BECAUSE IT BETTER ALIGNED
WITH MY WORK EXPERIENCE.
UH, WELL, DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT
IS VERY IMPORTANT,
AND, THEN...
IF YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF,
UH, DOING IT,
THEN HOPEFULLY, UM,
YOU WILL NOT PUT YOURSELF
IN A SITUATION
WHERE YOU'RE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP
OR PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE.
IF YOU SEE SOMEONE ELSE
THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU, UH,
THAT'S OUT THERE, SUCCEEDING,
THEN AT LEAST YOU WILL NOT
BE AFRAID TO TRY.