Randii Wessen

Randii Wessen

Astronautics Systems Engineer


NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, CA USA


You only have two choices: You coast and do nothing (in which case, you've really just wasted your life force), or you try things. And maybe some things will fail. Maybe some things will succeed. But if you don't try, you'll never find those things that work out.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Randii Wessen

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
His dad used to always tell him that he had only two rules: find a career you love, and marry someone who can cook.
He knew he was interested in the sciences, but he wasn't sure which field he liked best, so he studied a wide array of subjects.
Finally, a class called "Intelligent Life in the Universe" caught his interest.
One day, the professor asked the class if anyone was interested in a non-paid, non-college-credit assistant position.
He was the only person to raise his hand, so he got the job; from there, that professor got him a spot on NASA's Voyager project.
Although he's working in one of the most prestigious labs in the world, he says it hasn't been a completely smooth road.
He has rejection letters from the shuttle astronaut program (15 of them!), from a number of grad schools, and even from JPL.
However, he just kept pushing, and always said "yes" to everything; his motto is: "Those who dare, risk defeat. Those who don't, ensure it."
Keep following my journey

Career

Astronautics Systems Engineer

I lead teams of scientists and engineers generating ideas for future space missions, like going to Mars.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Science
Learning / Being Challenged

Interviewed By

Just Say Yes

Just Say Yes

After traveling more than 4,500 miles in 30 days, the Roadtrippers book a last-minute interview with Randii Wessen, an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles. Randii shares his story of constant determination-wisdom that resonates with Nekeed. The last interview ends with Laura Danly, curator at the Griffith Observatory. Laura shares her story of arduous schooling to land a job as a NASA astronomer-only to realize she's happiest when she shares her astronomical knowledge with others. Ending their journey with a better sense of themselves and their futures, the team shares their final reflections and says their goodbyes.