Umd - Blog Posts

Looking Forward to Leadership Conference NCCWSL

Following Memorial Day I will be traveling to DC for NCCWSL, National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, by AAUW (American Association of University Women). AAUW Duluth chapter has given me the awesome opportunity to meet students from around America, represent my engineering discipline and refine my leadership skills.

While Co-Oping at NASA I learned what categories of leadership they look for when hiring branch chiefs, flight directors and even center directors. NASA looks for individuals that can Lead Change, Lead People, are Results Driven, have Business Acumen, can Build Teams and have Discipline Competency. Our center director, Ellen Ochoa, has all of these leadership skills. A leader in a lower position may not have to have business acumen or have weaknesses in two of these categories. With leadership skills identified I have chosen what workshops I should attend...

I Get Knocked Down, but I Get Up Again: Persevering through Life’s Challenges

The Human Side of Collaboration

Be Better: Enhanced Speaking Skills for Women

...including keynote speakers and a trip downtown to learn about advocacy, politics, and policy making from a panel of women who work for senators and representatives on Capitol Hill. I am avoiding sessions that could be replaced by a TEDTalk and sessions presented by business folks that may be there simply to pitch their company - these are all disappointments I have experienced in past conferences.

I am half surprised and half not surprised about how politically charged some of these workshops and lectures are (NCCWSL is hosted in our nation's capitol after all and AAUW uses policy to advance equality). Many leaders in industry do not interface with politics on a daily basis so I hope there is enough relevant content that will truly challenge my understanding of leadership. I want brutal honesty on how I can improve and tools that I can use in industry. I will attend with an open mind.

When I visited the White House in 2013 for a tech related Champions of Change event I advocated for project based learning in schools - reducing standardize testing and implementing measurable projects mirroring challenges in "the real world". During this excursion my primary message will about continuing and growing Earth observation missions. For a final spring semester I wrote about how crucial Earth observation missions are to our environment, safety and economy. I will be sure to post an abridged version here soon. While Earth observation is my primary message I will be sure to also talk about the importance of the "A" in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), how trade schools are critical to American jobs and manufacturing and last project based learning again.

I will be live blogging during the conference so subscribe via email to get the latest blog posts and follow me on Twitter @KirsiCootie!

Attending a DC leadership conference in May! 

I will meet US college student leaders, participate in workshops & visit Capitol Hill. One of activity reads, "[Learn about]... advocacy, politics, and policy making from a panel of women who work for senators and representatives on Capitol Hill". Summer of 2013 I attended President Obama's Champions of Change White House event with NCWIT Aspirations in Computing sharing the importance of "project based learning" in schools. I talked with policy makers, company leaders and educators about how project based learning could be implemented and assessed. Additionally, I met Minnesota Senator Al Franken who since has visited FIRST robotics teams in my hometown & supported STEAM heavily. Again I want to have a focused message to share during my DC mission. I may keep the project based learning theme or pick a new one. I would love to hear your thoughts about what message I should share! Who knows who I'll run into!

I am so thankful AAUW Duluth MN awarded me with a scholarship making it possible to attend the AAUW's National Conference for College Women Student Leaders. Here is the agenda of the conference: https://www.nccwsl.org/about/agenda/

Watch for live blogging! Pictures are from my 2013 White House experience.

For #GivingTuesday I am sharing my top 9 favorite organizations, foundations and groups to give to today (not in any particular order). If I forgot any or if you have feels about any listed let me know! 1) Team Rubicon USA - "international non-profit disaster response organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy disaster response teams, free of charge to communities affected by disasters across the country. Team Rubicon currently maintains a roster of 35,000+ volunteers able to deploy throughout the United States." Bethany Watson first told me about this group, how they have positively impacted communities, how it has transformed her and her fellow Rubicon responders: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

2) FIRST ROBOTICS FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - Programs from preK to 12th grade engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math challenges. PreK to 8th graders participate in a form of Lego Robotics. 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Tech Challenge building a 12inx 12inx 12in robots that compete tasks. Alternatively 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Robotics Competition building 120lb robots that play games like soccer, basketball and frisbee. Dozens of NASA interns/ Co-Ops I have meet have been a part of this career changing program: https://give.firstinspires.org/checkout/donation If you want to give to a local team look them up here: http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search#type=teams&sort=name&programs=FLLJR,FLL,FTC,FRC&year=2016 They will likely have a team webpage that can route you to donation instructions.

3) World Wildlife Fund - "WWF’s work has evolved from saving species and landscapes to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them. Recognizing that the problems facing our planet are increasingly more complex and urgent...puts people at the center and organizes our work around six key areas: forests, marine, freshwater, wildlife, food and climate." This group doesn't just care about saving the cute endangered animals but the ugly helpful ones too. You can symbolically donate a critical animal here: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx

4) Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) - "A Ronald McDonald House is that “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost... At every House, families can enjoy: Home-cooked meals, Private bedrooms and Playrooms for children." Personal friends have stayed at these houses during cancer treatment.http://support.rmhc.org/site/PageNavigator/pw/Donation_Landing.html

5) The Mars Generation - Send students to space camp and get youth hooked on Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)! These are the folks that put out the challenge to only eat potatoes for 24 hours.   https://themarsgeneration.org/donate/

6) CHUM - "CHUM provides Emergency Shelter services for Duluth residents. The Congregate Shelter provides dormitory-style shelter for single adults. The Family Shelter offers small apartments to a maximum of 6 families at a time.Length of stay in either shelter is dependent upon the needs and cooperation of the guest. Each shelter resident is required to meet regularly with a Housing Advocate to work toward a resolution of their housing situation." Powerfull and local organization in Duluth, Minnesota: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Churches-United-In-Ministry

7) YWCA GirlPower Duluth - "After school, lunch, and summer day camp program dedicated to cultivating future leaders. YWCA Duluth uses nationally accredited Girls Inc. leadership curriculum, STEM (science technology engineering math) activities and experiments, race and gender justice activities, economic and media literacy education, field trips, academic support." What makes this program stands out is that it's 100% free so all sorts of girls can learn and grow: http://www.ywcaduluth.org/donate/

8) National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) - "working to increase girls' and women's participation in technology and computing. NCWIT helps organizations recruit, retain, and advance women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers by providing support, evidence, and action. NCWIT is the only national organization focused on women's participation in computing across the entire ecosystem: K-12 through college education, and academic to corporate and entrepreneurial careers." Being an NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award recipent has impacted my career trajectory continuing interests in computer science: https://www.ncwit.org/donate

9) UMD's Women's Resource & Action Center - WRAC - "provide all women support and encouragement on the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus. The Center works to empower women, both individually and collectively, through the provision of a wide variety of services and resources... Drop-in center- Campus outreach and educational services for classes or student groups, Library with extensive subject files for academic or personal purposes, Events and programs and events including: Take Back the Night, Clothesline Project, Women's History Month, Mock Rape Trial, International Women's Day, Nursing Parents Room, KSC 260 and Library 143" http://www.d.umn.edu/mlrc/ocd/donate/ https://makingagift.umn.edu/onlinegiving/enterArea.do?ownerCode=O_UMD&areaCode=A_UMD164

Land a Career with the US Government

I shared all my advice on how to land a career US Government! Semesters that I am not working at NASA Johnson Space Center I study at the University of Minnesota Duluth and work in their Career and Internship Services. I am training into a Peer Educator position soon to help students edit resumes, write blog posts and give general career advice. In their Peer Educator Blog "Peer Into Your Career" I shared my US Government career tips. If someone wants to work for NASA or any other agency this three part blog series is where I would direct them!

Part 1: Using the US government's USAJobs.gov as a job search engine.

Part 2: Perfecting your resume on USAJob.gov's resume builder.

Part 3: A Pathways Internship, an awesome US Government career experience for college students.

Throughout my time as a Peer Educator I will write monthly posts for the "Peer Into Your Career" blog.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

"Peer Into Your Career" blog by U of MN Duluth Peer Educators has many great posts help  you in every aspect of your career! From when you first start searching to later in your career.

Visit your university/ college's Career Center! These wise folks are more than happy to help you out and are full of quality wisdom.

For non USAJobs.gov resume builder tips check out U of MN Duluth's Career Handbook for resume tips and more!

Side note: I did not successfully land the T-38 Jet simulator so ask me about career landing advice not plane landing advice. I did a few loops though. Yes that is Astronaut Gregory C Johnson in the co-pilot seat!