I was initially intrigued by this specific Industry Night because the people who would be speaking were professors right here at Texas A&M University. I read that a couple of these professors had worked for NASA and I decided it would be an interesting panel. I definitely made the right decision. Having the opportunity to hear Dr. Dale Cope, Dr. Shayla Rivera, and Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg all talk about their lives and professions was truly remarkable. Each one had their own, unique, life experiences and I enjoyed hearing their stories.
Dr. Shayla Rivera introduced herself and explained how she had worked for NASA and held many other jobs, as well. She had the crowd laughing and I found her delightful. I loved the advice she gave us. She told us to not worry so much about the questions, “What will I do?” and “Who will I be?”. Instead, she recommended focusing on our education and experience in the engineering industry. She promised that our education from Texas A&M would help us wherever we go. Now, she is a professor of practice at Texas A&M and teaches engineering ethics. After her, Dr. Dale Cope stood up and told us all about his life journey. He was in the Air Force and even taught at the Air Force Academy! This was where he figured out the he loves teaching. He is now a professor of practice at Texas A&M and teaches engineering mechanics.
Finally, Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg shared her story with us and it was extremely captivating. This remarkable woman worked for NASA for 30 years and then worked for the NASA Independent Safety Organization. Now, she is a professor of practice at Texas A&M and teaches industrial systems engineering. What I learned from her story was that certain things happen that will change your life path. This was so inspiring to me because so often people try to plan out every detail of their life. This just isn’t practical because we never know what the future holds. She also told us to “find what your passion is”. I am motivated to search for a field that gets me excited and a career that I will enjoy for the rest of my life.
My biggest takeaway from the evening and the panel was that it’s never too late to make a career change. No matter how old you are, you can always take the time to find something you’re passionate about. Life is too short to spend your time doing something you don’t enjoy. Students who graduate with a degree in engineering are well-rounded and their career paths can be very versatile.
