Another Successful Speed Mentoring Event at Johnson

by Rebecca Wickes | 2023-07-06

The second year of a speed mentoring initiative started by the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center has wrapped up with great success.

*Mid-career professionals sit opposite senior managers and center leadership during speed mentoring sessions at NASA’s Johnsons Space Center. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos*

Last year’s event invited recent hires and early-career engineers to have one-on-one mentoring sessions with senior leaders from across the center. This year, the mentoring theme focused on mid-career employees, many of whom are facing pivotal decisions on which direction to take in their career.

The Engineering Directorate also embraced the concept of “better together” and emphasized the “unite” from Dare, Unite, Explore by inviting other Johnson organizations to participate in this year’s event.

The Engineering Directorate cast an even wider net for this year’s protégé and mentor pools via collaborations with the Human and Health Performance Directorate, Human Research Program, Office of Procurement, and the External Relations Office. This strategy allowed for a unique variety of inputs and different perspectives to be shared with the protégés.

Opening remarks focused on Johnson being a relationship-based center and the importance of collaboration and seeking opportunities for improvement. From left: Office of Procurement Director Jose Garcia, Director of Engineering Julie Kramer White, Deputy Director of Engineering Gerald “Jay” Lebeau, and Human Research Program Director David Baumann. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos

“It was interesting to learn about all of the different paths people took to become a leader at NASA,” said Eddie Uribe, Crew and Thermal Systems Division. “I now know that there isn’t one path to success and that it’s really important to be happy with what you do and to define your own success story.”

“I heard a lot of commonalities with my own story about managers who were once focused on the technical side of engineering and then moved into the people-oriented side of management,” said Bradley Gregg, Software, Robotics and Simulation Division. “I’ve found so much reward in my own experience of being a mentor to those in my department. It was great to be on ‘the other side’ today and dig in deeper on what the next steps in my career might look like."

*The speed mentoring event took place in the Gilruth Center Ballroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos*

“I’m really proud of how I got out of my comfort zone,” said Sheena Miller, Software, Robotics and Simulation Division. “Even though not all the mentors worked in engineering, they were able to provide great advice and we connected about other growth aspects of my career that are important to me, like public speaking.”

Some mentors returned for the second year in a row, while others answered the call to take part in this year’s event for the first time.

“I really wanted to give back and show the different paths someone can take at NASA,” said Leticia “Letty” Vega, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program. “I worked as a contractor for 18 years before moving to a civil servant and have worked across numerous programs at Johnson. I want to inspire the next group of leaders and show that you can be successful and there is a place in leadership here for you.”

“It’s really important that we share our lessons learned with the next group of engineers that have the potential to become senior managers and leaders,” said Angela Olstad, Project Management and Systems Engineering Division. “It’s also great to be able to show the ‘personality behind the people,’ and that so much of leadership is understanding how best to work with others and how to motivate them.”

*Protégés and mentors from multiple organizations across NASA’s Johnson Space Center participated in the speed networking event. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos*

The event was organized into brief sessions where proteges rotated between mentors. After the event, mentors and proteges enjoyed refreshments and social networking.

“The quick pace of the sessions kept things energized and really made me feel comfortable opening up,” said Jared Drum, Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division. “The best part was being able to get different perspectives from people we don’t normally work with."

“After today, I really saw how important it is to do rotations and take those opportunities to work outside your comfort zone,” said Jason Graika, Propulsion and Power Division. “Even if it feels daunting, taking those opportunities can develop you in other areas and may unlock a new path in your career that you didn’t see before.”

The Engineering Directorate would like to leverage the collaborative success of this year and partner with other organizations to continue this annual event, and others like it that can provide tangible value for the workforce and build a positive and collaborative culture within the center.

Additional photographs from the event are available in Imagery Online.