The story of an hour—speed mentoring at JSC
This event was formulated in response to employee awareness about intern needs, and was the first of its type.
“I had a female intern who was working with an all-male team,” said Dana Altmon-Cary, an education specialist in the Office of Education. “I wanted her to connect with other women in STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] fields.”
This sparked Altmon-Cary’s desire to launch this event in conjunction with WELL. As part of their organizational mission, WELL works hard to develop the strategic focus area of mentoring and networking. Through mentoring opportunities, the ERG does its part to invest in the next generation of leaders at JSC. Present at the event were mentors from a wide variety of organizations at the center and at various career levels, helping mentees learn the foundations of effective teams and mission success.
The room buzzed with years of accumulated wisdom as interns rotated through mentors for quick Q&As, making every interaction count.
“Even on a challenging day, it’s still the best job I ever had,” said mentor Robert Henderson, accountant in the Property, Cost and Reporting Branch. “On those days I remind myself there’s a rocket sitting at the front gate and that it’s possible to run late because your car is stuck behind a modular robotic vehicle.”
The learning taking place was a process of sharing both hard experiences, as well as uplifting stories.
“I came to the event with the desire to receive hindsight from NASA professionals, ones I knew worked hard to achieve success,” said Lusenii Kromah, cyber security intern. “Smart men learn from their own mistakes—wise men learn from someone else’s mistakes.”
As time progressed, interns became seasoned at conducting quick and valuable interactions.
“I started off asking formal interview questions,” said Madison Gove, Education intern. By her third round, she relaxed into an organic conversation, that of two people meeting for the first time. “All of the mentors I spoke with possessed an energy and passion for their work I feel is unique to NASA.”
Words of encouragement serve as motivation, as Gove attests. Danielle Johnson, who completed both an internship and Pathways program tours, is now a full-time employee. Johnson, currently an executive intern for the engineering directorate, used persistence to find her place at JSC.
“Mentoring is about building the relationship and fostering that relationship,” Johnson said. Through growing those connections, she developed knowledge as a mentee that led to her development as a strong mentor. “Do what you’re passionate about, and do what makes you happy—what motivates you, brings you joy.”
JSC’s Office of Education and WELL appreciate program participation at this event. A few of the pearls of wisdom shared were unconventional paths to JSC, the importance of saying yes and the benefits of a flexible career. As mentor and Director of Center Operations Joel Walker said, “Meet as many people as you can. Work gets done through people, and people who know you personally will help you out the most.”
All in all, this was a successful meeting of the minds to initiate the newest members of the NASA family.
Nancy Garcia
NASA Johnson Space Center
