April 8, 2025 • 17 mins
Join us as we discover, Kirsten's STEM Journey!
Kirsten is an engineer in the aerospace industry. She studied mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University and has a passion for innovation and emerging technology. Throughout her career, she has contributed to cutting-edge projects and continues to build expertise in AI and advanced systems. Dedicated to growth and leadership in STEM, Kirsten combines technical skill with a commitment to inspiring others to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Please Watch, Comment, and Subscribe! New Episodes Every Other Friday!
Follow us on Instagram: stemwithashley
Follow us on Facebook: STEM With Ashley
Follow us on tiktok: stemwithashley
Follow us on LinkedIn: All Things STEM With Ashley
If you are interested in being a guest on this channel please contact: stemwithashley@outlook.com
Kirsten is an engineer in the aerospace industry. She studied mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University and has a passion for innovation and emerging technology. Throughout her career, she has contributed to cutting-edge projects and continues to build expertise in AI and advanced systems. Dedicated to growth and leadership in STEM, Kirsten combines technical skill with a commitment to inspiring others to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Please Watch, Comment, and Subscribe! New Episodes Every Other Friday!
Follow us on Instagram: stemwithashley
Follow us on Facebook: STEM With Ashley
Follow us on tiktok: stemwithashley
Follow us on LinkedIn: All Things STEM With Ashley
If you are interested in being a guest on this channel please contact: stemwithashley@outlook.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello everyone, and thank you so much for tuning in
All Things Stem with Ashley. I am your host, Ashley,
and this show is about focusing on empowerment, empowering women
in STEM fields. We highlight STEM careers, mentorship, community service,
and success in the industry. Our model is to be stempowered.
Today our guest is Kirsten Johnson. Kirsten is an engineer
(00:28):
in the aerospace industry. She studied mechanical engineering at Texas
Tech University and has.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
A passion for innovation and emerging technology.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Throughout her career, she has contributed to cutting edge projects
and continues to build expertise in AI and advanced systems.
Dedicated to growth and leadership in STEM, Kirsten combines technical
skill with a commitment to inspiring others to career to
explore careers in STEM. So today we are going to
welcome Kirsten. Hello everyone, Today we have Kirsten Johnson. We
(00:59):
are going to get started. Oh yes, hello everyone. I'm
excited to be on here to talk with you guys
about my journey and just to encourage you to pursue
careers in STEM. Yeah all right, so Christa, with that
will get started. My first question for you is what
sparked your interest in STEM and what inspired you to
(01:20):
uh have a career.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Journey in STEM.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
My interest in STEM started in high school where my
calculus teacher actually took us on a field trip to
Lockey Martin, uh yeah, nearby in our city.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so I was already very.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Good at calculus and physics and those were my favorite subjects,
and so I figured, you know, engineering would be a
good career to pursue, and so I just chose it
to major in college.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Awesome, I love that. That is wonderful.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I did not know that Y'all'm learning about my friends
as y'all learn about them. So yeah, okay, So can
you share any role models or mentors that have influenced
your journey in them. I didn't grow up having many
role models or mentors in STEM.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Because I wasn't exposed to it growing up.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Right in college, throughout the years when I had internships,
I did have mentors that I had.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
A sign for a different task.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Right, So over the years I've kept in contact with
them and then I'll just talk to them and tell them,
like what I'm thinking about a new role that I'm persuing, right, Okay,
I love that the So, were there any challenges you
faced growing up that made pursuing a STEM career difficult?
I think the biggest challenge is not having parents who
(02:45):
were in STEM careers. When I first went to college
and I was doing my freshman engineering courses, I saw
that everyone pretty much had like a dad who worked
in like a mailing machine or a factory, or they're
engineering themselves. And so it was a lot for me
to learn starting college with that, you know, cause I
(03:07):
had to understand what lay was in very different engineering
parts where they grew up understanding what that was. Yeah,
so it was a gap to kind of feel. But
you know, over time, you just learn a lot from
the people around you.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
So yeah, thank you. Now I would love to know.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
How do you manage work life balance with the demanding
STEM career.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It is difficult. I think that you kind.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Of have to rotate between being very busy with work
and then there's another phase in your life where you're
giving a lot to your social life and you're feeding
all of your relationships, and then at all times you
still have to like maintain closeness with your family. So
for me, it's kind of just it goes in cycles
(03:54):
and ways is where I'm focusing more on work now
or now like work isn't as busy, so I can
be more social and go out with friends and maintain
those those relationships. So you just kind of ebb and
flow and just go with like how it's going, yeah
(04:14):
if yeah, Yeah, that's the best way. Yeah, it's the
only way, especially post pandemic us being back in the
workforce having to go in office sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, it's a big change and we have to roll
with it. So thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
So what advice would you give to young women considering
a career in STEM but are unsure about how to
balance it?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
As you just mentioned, like how did you start planning that?
Do you have a planner? Like what do you do? What?
Do you just have certain days for certain things?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So like on Fridays when I'm off, I'll have a
day this personal development and errands. So I'll spend it
like maybe one hour learning some tricks on Excel and
then the rest running errands.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So do you how do you do that for me?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So right now I'm really trying to upscale myself and be,
you know, grow myself as an expert in artificial intelligence.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And you know that whole realm with machine learning. So
what I do with.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
That is outside of work, I'll spend like a couple
hours studying and learning watching YouTube videos, and then I
also try and balance that with errands on the weekends.
So I try to focus on doing that stuff early
on the weekends, do my workout, do like work stuff
(05:32):
or like trying to upskill or anything else that I'm
trying to do outside of work, and then try to
make space for fun.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
And like going out or doing something with friends.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, so what is one project or accomplishment that you're
specifically proud of during your skin stem career? One project.
There's multiple of them, but the one that I can
bring up right now is a few years ago, I
started a company, an AR and VR company called go XR,
(06:10):
and so we focused on creating mixed reality experiences for people,
and that would go with you know, creating like a
try before you buy for people's retail businesses. So if
you have a wallet, we'll have like a AR version
you can host on your website so people can see
what it looks like before you get in. Okay, but
(06:30):
one thing that I did that was really neat was
I created like a art ar experience for a mural
in Houston. Yeah, where this it was a an artist
where he had a monopoly board and it was installed
outside of the museum, I think in third ward and
so we took the picture of it and then we
(06:51):
animated it basically having like the pieces on the board
like going across the monopoly board.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And I thought that was really neat. It took me
a lot of work on it, but right, it was
really fun.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Thank you. That was excellent. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So have you been involved in any initiatives that encourage
young women to get into stim fields.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So in college, I was a part of this organization
which you know about, yes, and NESB stands for a
National Society of Black Engineers.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So it's a.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
It's a student resource group on campus where they emphasize
on you know, community outreach in a lot of different
programs and giving you that community of people that are
also engineers to help you throughout college. And so I
was a part of the community outreach group for pretty
(07:43):
much all four years of college.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Good and that was really nice.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I got to do like a few things, a schedule
a couple events with that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
But I I think that that was the main one
that I was a part of.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yes, thank you. We love that. That's what the channel's about.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
We've wanted more young women to get in stim fields
and learn and grow, just like we're learning and growing,
and we're here to give you tips that we may
have wished we had, so you guys can there differently
than us. So with that, next we're going to talk
about what is the best piece of career advice you've
gotten so far and how it has shaped your path instant.
(08:22):
I think the best career advice I've had was it
was friends us taking ownership of things, but it's really
learning how to master you know the task that you're
given and taking ownership, meaning just know every single part,
every detail of what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
And that way that you know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
As you get more experienced and you learn more, makes
it a lot easier to troubleshoot and solve problems, and
it helps grow you in your career because now you're
able to break down a problem and find a solution
because you kind of know how to go through those
different steps.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That's good. I love that I learned recently.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
It's understanding the why as well, like why is this
needing to be done and what does it affect And
so that's kind of like what you said about knowing
all the aspects. It's understanding why you're doing what you're
doing and how it impacts.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Your company, your team, whatever the end objective is.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So that's something I still am putting and applying being
very detailed.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, like knowing every little thing.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So and even learning why other groups work with us,
for what they do how it contributes to our project. Yeah,
I think that's really good. And in order to get
to that point, you have to ask questions. Yes, ask
questionss a lot of questions, do not be afraid. Yeah,
that's excellent. Okay, so now we have looking back. So
(09:46):
looking back, is there anything you would have changed about
your journey into stand whether it be high school, college, career.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You can think a second, but yeah, I think for me,
I would have made be minored in.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Computer science in college or at least got more like
a coding background. With like the current industry and how
it is now, Having coding skills really opens up the
opportunities for you and the types of roles that you
want to have, even if you don't want to be
like a software engineer. Having that background, knowing how to
(10:24):
code in a different language, it causes you to have
a higher level of problem solving in order to solve
a problem using software.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
So I think that it.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Would really just enhance your career by having those skills.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I one hundred percent agree.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
A lot of teams are going to an automation now
that with the AI world, there's a lot of automating things,
and sometimes you have to code to make those things happen,
Like even if it's a simple.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One line code, it helps.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It helps things a lot efficiency time, and being able
to create something, create like a program software just from
your fingertips.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Is very powerful, it is.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, Yeah, and they keep creating anything. You can make
a website, you make an app.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You do anything.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
So and it keeps you competitive in the workforce. It
really does, because it seems like nowadays a master's is
equal to a bachelor's now, so it's kind of like
you have to have those special skills to even stand out.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, sometimes, and yeah sometimes some.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Places, I've noticed it a lot because it's just like,
oh my goodness, now everybody has the code to be
have that competitive edge.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So we're seeing that a.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Lot, and even with I guess with AI machine learning
just also like data science and those fields.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Too are very valuable to get into as well.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Situating yourself in the directions where the industries are going,
even like where the money is going AI machine learning,
you'll have like quantum computing, you'll have blockchain and and
all that stuff. Situate yourself in a way where like
you'll be able to get those jobs in the.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Next five years.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I agree, Thank you those great nuggets. Great nuggets please.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
So now before we get to through tips for success,
I would like to ask what's next for you in
your career and what do you hope to achieve in
the future.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Next for me, I like I think I mentioned it before.
I want to be an expert and industry leader within
AI and also just emerging technology as well.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
So all of the new technologies.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That are coming here and you know, promising that it's
gonna you know, transform the way we live in our
whole world. I want to be at the forefront of that,
analyzing it, trying to figure out ways to create products
that can help people.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I love.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
But in the near term, I think I want to
switch into more of like a machine learning facing role.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, to just focus on that for right now.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That is excellent. I love that.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So how do you feel like you can use some
of your mechanical engineering background to help you with this transition?
My background, I would say with work, I had to
learn more electrical engineering stuff, okay, and I didn't use
too much of mechanical engineering except for like basic engineering principles,
(13:25):
physics and.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Good.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I think that helped me in my role.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Also the math or linear algebra, statistics, calculus and stuff
like that. Yeah, those backgrounds do translate into, let's good,
into machine learns.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Do y'all hear that? It does?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Some some stuff you actually use from college, not all.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Of it, but some of it. Yeah. So well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
What are three tips for success that you have for individuals.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
That want to go into the STEM industry.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Well, the first one is to take ownership of your task,
so as you do that, you'll build a lot of
confidence and your expertise throughout the.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Work that you're doing. The second one is to keep learning.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Continue to be a student, like always be a student
open to learning new things, new.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
New fields that are coming out.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Seek out certain certifications if you can, or if your
company offers like free training and courses. I'm always looking
online to see you like, oh, what is something new
that I can learn? Yeah, and it another time it
can kind of help guide and mold like the career
that you wanna go through in.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Your back way or and the last one is to network.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
So you always hear people saying, oh, your net worth
is your net your network is your net worth. And
how important it is to have people to advocate for
you to get in certain doors and certain roles.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yes, it's like you.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Can be exceptional at what you do, but sometimes what
you really need to get over the edge is someone
in that room, you know, to speak on your record.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, really really.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Fighting for you. So that is very important.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And in order to be good at networking, you know,
you need to be open to talking to people, starting
a conversation, initiating conversations with people.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So if you're very introverted, you need to learn how
to turn on your extroverted self and just try to
speak to people and have your thirty second elevator pitch.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Oh yeah, to help break the ice. Cause if you're
talking about yourself. It's helps you be a little more comfortable.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Mm. I would say, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I actually met Kirsten at a leadership conference in DC. Yeah,
and we kept in touch and when I made my
move from Atlanta to Dallas, she was super welcoming and
welcoming to the city. So we've kind of networked and
we're still friends today. Yeah, and so now she gets
to speak and spreading all with you. Also, thank you.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, I'm really not frind know you. Yes, you don't.
This is what almost three years later?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
I think it's been three years. Three.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Our program was three and I graduated from it last August,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
No, two years. Wait, this is almost three twenty twenty five. Wait,
I don't know two half. But you see, networking, we're
still good. We still get to help each other today,
so it works. Person, Thank you so much for joining
us today on all Things them with Ashley.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
We really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Before me, yes, before we close out, I want to
ask if there's anything else you wanted to mention or
talk about before we leave today.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I think for everyone watching this that's interested in pursuing
a career in STEM or you're already pursuing it in college.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Just don't be afraid to ask for help.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Don't be afraid to aks people questions for advice, and
to seek out mentorship from people.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
So you can reach out to professors, people in.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Your community that you know, maybe your physics teacher in
high school.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
They might know some people in the industry.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
So don't be afraid to reach out to people, tell
them what you need and what you're looking for. You
never know you know what they might know and the
people that they might know that.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
They can connect you with. So always ask, always ask
for everything. So so thank.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
You and thank you all for watching On Things Sin
with Ashley. Please like and subscribe and comment. I will
have notes on anything we added in the show notes
below here and have a great day.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Thank you Bye,
Hello everyone, and thank you so much for tuning in
All Things Stem with Ashley. I am your host, Ashley,
and this show is about focusing on empowerment, empowering women
in STEM fields. We highlight STEM careers, mentorship, community service,
and success in the industry. Our model is to be stempowered.
Today our guest is Kirsten Johnson. Kirsten is an engineer
(00:28):
in the aerospace industry. She studied mechanical engineering at Texas
Tech University and has.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
A passion for innovation and emerging technology.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Throughout her career, she has contributed to cutting edge projects
and continues to build expertise in AI and advanced systems.
Dedicated to growth and leadership in STEM, Kirsten combines technical
skill with a commitment to inspiring others to career to
explore careers in STEM. So today we are going to
welcome Kirsten. Hello everyone, Today we have Kirsten Johnson. We
(00:59):
are going to get started. Oh yes, hello everyone. I'm
excited to be on here to talk with you guys
about my journey and just to encourage you to pursue
careers in STEM. Yeah all right, so Christa, with that
will get started. My first question for you is what
sparked your interest in STEM and what inspired you to
(01:20):
uh have a career.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Journey in STEM.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
My interest in STEM started in high school where my
calculus teacher actually took us on a field trip to
Lockey Martin, uh yeah, nearby in our city.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so I was already very.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Good at calculus and physics and those were my favorite subjects,
and so I figured, you know, engineering would be a
good career to pursue, and so I just chose it
to major in college.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Awesome, I love that. That is wonderful.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I did not know that Y'all'm learning about my friends
as y'all learn about them. So yeah, okay, So can
you share any role models or mentors that have influenced
your journey in them. I didn't grow up having many
role models or mentors in STEM.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Because I wasn't exposed to it growing up.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Right in college, throughout the years when I had internships,
I did have mentors that I had.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
A sign for a different task.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Right, So over the years I've kept in contact with
them and then I'll just talk to them and tell them,
like what I'm thinking about a new role that I'm persuing, right, Okay,
I love that the So, were there any challenges you
faced growing up that made pursuing a STEM career difficult?
I think the biggest challenge is not having parents who
(02:45):
were in STEM careers. When I first went to college
and I was doing my freshman engineering courses, I saw
that everyone pretty much had like a dad who worked
in like a mailing machine or a factory, or they're
engineering themselves. And so it was a lot for me
to learn starting college with that, you know, cause I
(03:07):
had to understand what lay was in very different engineering
parts where they grew up understanding what that was. Yeah,
so it was a gap to kind of feel. But
you know, over time, you just learn a lot from
the people around you.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
So yeah, thank you. Now I would love to know.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
How do you manage work life balance with the demanding
STEM career.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It is difficult. I think that you kind.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Of have to rotate between being very busy with work
and then there's another phase in your life where you're
giving a lot to your social life and you're feeding
all of your relationships, and then at all times you
still have to like maintain closeness with your family. So
for me, it's kind of just it goes in cycles
(03:54):
and ways is where I'm focusing more on work now
or now like work isn't as busy, so I can
be more social and go out with friends and maintain
those those relationships. So you just kind of ebb and
flow and just go with like how it's going, yeah
(04:14):
if yeah, Yeah, that's the best way. Yeah, it's the
only way, especially post pandemic us being back in the
workforce having to go in office sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, it's a big change and we have to roll
with it. So thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
So what advice would you give to young women considering
a career in STEM but are unsure about how to
balance it?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
As you just mentioned, like how did you start planning that?
Do you have a planner? Like what do you do? What?
Do you just have certain days for certain things?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So like on Fridays when I'm off, I'll have a
day this personal development and errands. So I'll spend it
like maybe one hour learning some tricks on Excel and
then the rest running errands.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So do you how do you do that for me?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So right now I'm really trying to upscale myself and be,
you know, grow myself as an expert in artificial intelligence.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And you know that whole realm with machine learning. So
what I do with.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
That is outside of work, I'll spend like a couple
hours studying and learning watching YouTube videos, and then I
also try and balance that with errands on the weekends.
So I try to focus on doing that stuff early
on the weekends, do my workout, do like work stuff
(05:32):
or like trying to upskill or anything else that I'm
trying to do outside of work, and then try to
make space for fun.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
And like going out or doing something with friends.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, so what is one project or accomplishment that you're
specifically proud of during your skin stem career? One project.
There's multiple of them, but the one that I can
bring up right now is a few years ago, I
started a company, an AR and VR company called go XR,
(06:10):
and so we focused on creating mixed reality experiences for people,
and that would go with you know, creating like a
try before you buy for people's retail businesses. So if
you have a wallet, we'll have like a AR version
you can host on your website so people can see
what it looks like before you get in. Okay, but
(06:30):
one thing that I did that was really neat was
I created like a art ar experience for a mural
in Houston. Yeah, where this it was a an artist
where he had a monopoly board and it was installed
outside of the museum, I think in third ward and
so we took the picture of it and then we
(06:51):
animated it basically having like the pieces on the board
like going across the monopoly board.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And I thought that was really neat. It took me
a lot of work on it, but right, it was
really fun.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Thank you. That was excellent. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So have you been involved in any initiatives that encourage
young women to get into stim fields.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So in college, I was a part of this organization
which you know about, yes, and NESB stands for a
National Society of Black Engineers.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So it's a.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
It's a student resource group on campus where they emphasize
on you know, community outreach in a lot of different
programs and giving you that community of people that are
also engineers to help you throughout college. And so I
was a part of the community outreach group for pretty
(07:43):
much all four years of college.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Good and that was really nice.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I got to do like a few things, a schedule
a couple events with that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
But I I think that that was the main one
that I was a part of.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yes, thank you. We love that. That's what the channel's about.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
We've wanted more young women to get in stim fields
and learn and grow, just like we're learning and growing,
and we're here to give you tips that we may
have wished we had, so you guys can there differently
than us. So with that, next we're going to talk
about what is the best piece of career advice you've
gotten so far and how it has shaped your path instant.
(08:22):
I think the best career advice I've had was it
was friends us taking ownership of things, but it's really
learning how to master you know the task that you're
given and taking ownership, meaning just know every single part,
every detail of what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
And that way that you know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
As you get more experienced and you learn more, makes
it a lot easier to troubleshoot and solve problems, and
it helps grow you in your career because now you're
able to break down a problem and find a solution
because you kind of know how to go through those
different steps.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That's good. I love that I learned recently.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
It's understanding the why as well, like why is this
needing to be done and what does it affect And
so that's kind of like what you said about knowing
all the aspects. It's understanding why you're doing what you're
doing and how it impacts.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Your company, your team, whatever the end objective is.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So that's something I still am putting and applying being
very detailed.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, like knowing every little thing.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So and even learning why other groups work with us,
for what they do how it contributes to our project. Yeah,
I think that's really good. And in order to get
to that point, you have to ask questions. Yes, ask
questionss a lot of questions, do not be afraid. Yeah,
that's excellent. Okay, so now we have looking back. So
(09:46):
looking back, is there anything you would have changed about
your journey into stand whether it be high school, college, career.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You can think a second, but yeah, I think for me,
I would have made be minored in.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Computer science in college or at least got more like
a coding background. With like the current industry and how
it is now, Having coding skills really opens up the
opportunities for you and the types of roles that you
want to have, even if you don't want to be
like a software engineer. Having that background, knowing how to
(10:24):
code in a different language, it causes you to have
a higher level of problem solving in order to solve
a problem using software.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
So I think that it.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Would really just enhance your career by having those skills.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I one hundred percent agree.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
A lot of teams are going to an automation now
that with the AI world, there's a lot of automating things,
and sometimes you have to code to make those things happen,
Like even if it's a simple.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One line code, it helps.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It helps things a lot efficiency time, and being able
to create something, create like a program software just from
your fingertips.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Is very powerful, it is.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, Yeah, and they keep creating anything. You can make
a website, you make an app.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You do anything.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
So and it keeps you competitive in the workforce. It
really does, because it seems like nowadays a master's is
equal to a bachelor's now, so it's kind of like
you have to have those special skills to even stand out.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, sometimes, and yeah sometimes some.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Places, I've noticed it a lot because it's just like,
oh my goodness, now everybody has the code to be
have that competitive edge.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So we're seeing that a.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Lot, and even with I guess with AI machine learning
just also like data science and those fields.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Too are very valuable to get into as well.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Situating yourself in the directions where the industries are going,
even like where the money is going AI machine learning,
you'll have like quantum computing, you'll have blockchain and and
all that stuff. Situate yourself in a way where like
you'll be able to get those jobs in the.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Next five years.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I agree, Thank you those great nuggets. Great nuggets please.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
So now before we get to through tips for success,
I would like to ask what's next for you in
your career and what do you hope to achieve in
the future.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Next for me, I like I think I mentioned it before.
I want to be an expert and industry leader within
AI and also just emerging technology as well.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
So all of the new technologies.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That are coming here and you know, promising that it's
gonna you know, transform the way we live in our
whole world. I want to be at the forefront of that,
analyzing it, trying to figure out ways to create products
that can help people.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I love.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
But in the near term, I think I want to
switch into more of like a machine learning facing role.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, to just focus on that for right now.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That is excellent. I love that.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So how do you feel like you can use some
of your mechanical engineering background to help you with this transition?
My background, I would say with work, I had to
learn more electrical engineering stuff, okay, and I didn't use
too much of mechanical engineering except for like basic engineering principles,
(13:25):
physics and.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Good.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I think that helped me in my role.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Also the math or linear algebra, statistics, calculus and stuff
like that. Yeah, those backgrounds do translate into, let's good,
into machine learns.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Do y'all hear that? It does?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Some some stuff you actually use from college, not all.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Of it, but some of it. Yeah. So well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
What are three tips for success that you have for individuals.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
That want to go into the STEM industry.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Well, the first one is to take ownership of your task,
so as you do that, you'll build a lot of
confidence and your expertise throughout the.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Work that you're doing. The second one is to keep learning.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Continue to be a student, like always be a student
open to learning new things, new.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
New fields that are coming out.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Seek out certain certifications if you can, or if your
company offers like free training and courses. I'm always looking
online to see you like, oh, what is something new
that I can learn? Yeah, and it another time it
can kind of help guide and mold like the career
that you wanna go through in.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Your back way or and the last one is to network.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
So you always hear people saying, oh, your net worth
is your net your network is your net worth. And
how important it is to have people to advocate for
you to get in certain doors and certain roles.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yes, it's like you.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Can be exceptional at what you do, but sometimes what
you really need to get over the edge is someone
in that room, you know, to speak on your record.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, really really.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Fighting for you. So that is very important.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And in order to be good at networking, you know,
you need to be open to talking to people, starting
a conversation, initiating conversations with people.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So if you're very introverted, you need to learn how
to turn on your extroverted self and just try to
speak to people and have your thirty second elevator pitch.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Oh yeah, to help break the ice. Cause if you're
talking about yourself. It's helps you be a little more comfortable.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Mm. I would say, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I actually met Kirsten at a leadership conference in DC. Yeah,
and we kept in touch and when I made my
move from Atlanta to Dallas, she was super welcoming and
welcoming to the city. So we've kind of networked and
we're still friends today. Yeah, and so now she gets
to speak and spreading all with you. Also, thank you.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, I'm really not frind know you. Yes, you don't.
This is what almost three years later?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
I think it's been three years. Three.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Our program was three and I graduated from it last August,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
No, two years. Wait, this is almost three twenty twenty five. Wait,
I don't know two half. But you see, networking, we're
still good. We still get to help each other today,
so it works. Person, Thank you so much for joining
us today on all Things them with Ashley.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
We really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Before me, yes, before we close out, I want to
ask if there's anything else you wanted to mention or
talk about before we leave today.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I think for everyone watching this that's interested in pursuing
a career in STEM or you're already pursuing it in college.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Just don't be afraid to ask for help.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Don't be afraid to aks people questions for advice, and
to seek out mentorship from people.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
So you can reach out to professors, people in.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Your community that you know, maybe your physics teacher in
high school.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
They might know some people in the industry.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
So don't be afraid to reach out to people, tell
them what you need and what you're looking for. You
never know you know what they might know and the
people that they might know that.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
They can connect you with. So always ask, always ask
for everything. So so thank.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
You and thank you all for watching On Things Sin
with Ashley. Please like and subscribe and comment. I will
have notes on anything we added in the show notes
below here and have a great day.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Thank you Bye,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.