Christian Rivera
NASA
Houston, TX USA
"Don’t be afraid to be curious and break down a vague question into smaller questions that you can answer."
Career Roadmap
Christian's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I bought myself a car so that I could work on it and apply the engineering skills I was learning in college. I also bought tools to shape surfboards because I saw a business opportunity. My family thought I was just wasting my money. I don't see it that way. I'm not wasting money, I'm learning. It's like spending money on a college course but instead of paying someone else to teach me, I'm teaching myself. Even if a venture doesn't work out, if you learn from your mistakes, it was worth it.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in Houston, Texas.
2.
I’ve always been interested in engineering, which led me to pursue a mechanical engineering degree from Texas A&M University.
3.
During my freshman year of college, I was so interested in applying the engineering concepts I was learning in school that I bought a car just so I could work on it.
4.
After graduating, I struggled to find a full-time engineering position, so I ended up starting my career in software consulting.
5.
After a few months, I knew I wanted to make my way back to engineering, so I started looking at required skills for engineering jobs and then worked on my own projects at home to apply those skills.
6.
Realizing that other students needed a way to connect to job opportunities, I founded a company to help students craft projects and create a portfolio.
7.
I currently work as a NASA analyst on the jets contract, where I look at the new spacesuits and analyze components to make sure everything will function properly out in space.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You're just wasting your money. You wasted your money on this car and you wasted your money on these surfboards.
How I responded:
I bought myself a car so that I could work on it and apply the engineering skills I was learning in college. I also bought tools to shape surfboards because I saw a business opportunity. My family thought I was just wasting my money. I don't see it that way. I'm not wasting money, I'm learning. It's like spending money on a college course but instead of paying someone else to teach me, I'm teaching myself. Even if a venture doesn't work out, if you learn from your mistakes, it was worth it.