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Rosa Obregon
Rosa Obregon
01:28

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

Mechanical Test Operations Engineer

I am a lead mechanical engineer at NASA testing rockets for launch.

01:17

Day In The Life Of A Mechanical Test Operations Engineer

My Day to Day

My day typically starts with our team being contacted by a customer who wants to test their component(s) or the full-scale engine. From there, they give us a particular set of requirements to look out for and test like pressure, propellants, etc. We then contact the design end of our team to develop a test area at our facility that can accommodate the requirements. I participate in design reviews and prepare documentation. In the activation phase, we physically test the component or engine.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

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.

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

Click to expand

  • My parents immigrated from Mexico.