Elaine Ho
NASA
Austin, TX USA
"There is a universe of possibilities out there."
Career Roadmap
Elaine's work combines: Science, Technology, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
There have been a lot times in my career where I doubted if I was the right person for a job. Fortunately, I had a lot of other people tell me that it's normal to not know what I'm doing just yet. You were picked for that job for a reason. You just need to give it time. Give yourself time to get familiar with it. And before I knew it, things started to look familiar and I was able to pull the skills that I had to be able to contribute to the conversation.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
Doctorate
Law
University of Florida
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I received an ROTC scholarship from the U.S. Air Force, which paid my way through school.
2.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering and then went to law school.
3.
After graduating, I started my career as a criminal prosecutor with the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps.
4.
I spent four years in the Air Force and then decided to transition out and go into private practice, where I specialized in employment law.
5.
I eventually decided to step away from law to work in diversity and inclusion—I served in DEI roles for both the Department of Agriculture and the IRS.
6.
I then got the opportunity to work at the White House for the Office of the First Lady, where I helped implement Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative.
7.
I cycled through the White House two more times—I worked for the United States Digital Service and in the National Space Council.
8.
My work with the National Space Council led to my current role now at NASA.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I'm not sure if I'm the right person for this job.
How I responded:
There have been a lot times in my career where I doubted if I was the right person for a job. Fortunately, I had a lot of other people tell me that it's normal to not know what I'm doing just yet. You were picked for that job for a reason. You just need to give it time. Give yourself time to get familiar with it. And before I knew it, things started to look familiar and I was able to pull the skills that I had to be able to contribute to the conversation.