1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,419 Paual: Before I started working here at NASA, I had my own sewing business. 2 00:00:03,420 --> 00:00:08,720 Geronimo: I was helping in a folkloric festival in Argentina, so I was running the horses. 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,520 Joy: I was also a bartender at a music festival. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:17,120 Who Works at NASA? What It takes to be a NASA Employee 5 00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:20,600 Paula: My name is Paula Cain, I am a thermal blanket technician. 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,340 Geronimo: I'm Geronimo Villanueva, I'm a planetary scientist. 7 00:00:23,340 --> 00:00:25,500 Joy: My name is Joy Ng and I'm a video producer 8 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:27,780 Paula: I am from Capitol Heights Maryland. 9 00:00:27,980 --> 00:00:29,860 Geronimo: I was born in Mendoza Argentina. 10 00:00:29,980 --> 00:00:33,540 Joy: I'm from Devon which is on the southwest coast of the UK. 11 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:38,760 Paul: So I was a fashion design major, and ended up designing clothes for satellites. 12 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,140 Geronimo: Electrical engineering actually was my my undergrad, and then my master 13 00:00:43,140 --> 00:00:46,720 was in telecommunications. Then I went to Germany, this is when I did my PhD, and 14 00:00:46,820 --> 00:00:47,920 then became an astrophysics. 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,300 Joy: I did my undergrad in biology which I loved, but I 16 00:00:51,380 --> 00:00:54,400 also loved many other areas in science too. So I decided to do a science 17 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,540 communication course for my Master's. 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,800 Paula: Well I ended up working here in NASA, it 19 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,760 sort of happened by mistake, used to always check the Washington Post ads for 20 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:10,200 jobs, and they had one said "Are you a Star Trek fan? Do you think about space?" 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,580 and it said "Come work here at NASA as a thermal blanket technician." I had no idea 22 00:01:14,580 --> 00:01:19,260 what it was. So I called, came in for the interview and I got the job. 23 00:01:19,260 --> 00:01:24,560 Geronimo: So when I moved to Germany I start doing my PhD. I discovered the European Space Agency. 24 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,840 The German Space Agency and start working in connection with NASA, so when I finished 25 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,400 my PhD this is when they offered me a fellowship to come here to NASA Goddard 26 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,740 Space Flight Center. It was supposed to be for two years, and I've been here for 15. 27 00:01:35,740 --> 00:01:39,300 Joy: When I first started working at NASA, I started out as the earth science 28 00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:43,520 multimedia fellow. So I was on the earth science news team, covering breaking news. 29 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,460 Paula: When I thought of NASA, I thought of space, I thought of futuristic things, I 30 00:01:47,460 --> 00:01:48,600 thought of the Jetsons. 31 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,560 Geronimo: Every time you hear NASA you think about 32 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:51,780 these genius people. 33 00:01:51,780 --> 00:01:54,220 Joy: As a kid I never thought I could work for NASA. 34 00:01:54,220 --> 00:01:59,140 Geronimo: When I got offered to do the fellowship here, I actually was scared to come here because 35 00:01:59,140 --> 00:02:03,200 I'm gonna say, "Oh my god, am I actually qualified to be working at NASA?" 36 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,700 Paula: What it means to me now being a NASA employee, is that the sky's the limit. 37 00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:09,800 Geronimo: Once you arrive here and you realize that it's 38 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,480 obviously it's just people that have passion for space, is the main thing 39 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:14,940 that defines a NASA scientist. 40 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:17,480 Joy: To work at NASA I think you have to be really 41 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,540 curious about the world. 42 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:23,240 Paula: You just have to find your niche and where you can fit in 43 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,100 here, because you can fit in here. 44 00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:28,360 Geronimo: If you have a that passion for space, don't 45 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:29,780 let anybody tell you what are your limits. 46 00:02:29,780 --> 00:02:33,060 Joy: There is definitely a job for you. There are so many jobs here. 47 00:02:33,060 --> 00:02:35,400 Paula: The fact that I am here doing it, and I'm getting 48 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,920 to touch things that are going into space, working here now I'm doing things 49 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:44,760 that people would never even dream of. And I'm a fashion designer, so don't let 50 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,760 your preconceptions of what people think stop you. 51 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:56,300 Explore NASA