Rosa Obregon
NASA, Stennis Space Center
Gulfport, MS USA
"There will always be doubts, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop. Don’t stop; keep fighting for it."
Career Roadmap
Rosa's work combines: Engineering, Science, and Building Things
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Figure out what path you want to take to get here. People take many routes in order to get to NASA. Some were in the military, some go to community college first, etc. Find the path that works for you and your unique situation and follow it.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Southern Mississippi
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
She is from Corpus Christi, TX. Her family emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico before she was born.
2.
When they would go back to visit relatives in Mexico, they would drive through country roads at night and she was always fascinated by the amount of stars she could see.
3.
In school, she always liked her math and science classes; she combined them with her love of space and decided to pursue aerospace engineering.
4.
She got into MIT before she was 18, but in her family, cultural norms dictated that she shouldn’t leave the house until she was an adult.
5.
She realized she had to do what was best for her future, so she followed her dream and left for MIT anyways.
6.
While at MIT, she studied aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering, with a concentration in theater arts.
7.
After college, she was offered a position at NASA; says that knowing she’s contributing to the progress of space exploration makes her job a dream come true.
8.
In 2005, she was named one of the “Top 10 Women of the Year” by Latina magazine.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You can't move out, you aren't married!
How I responded:
The rule in Mexican families is you don't leave the house until you are married. Fighting that cultural standard and getting them to understand that leaving was the best thing for me was difficult. I had to do what was best for me and what would give me the best opportunities.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents immigrated from Mexico.