DOMINA STAMAS

I attribute my success to the relationships I build with other people. When I see others doing really cool things in this small niche of interest, I want to be part of that and it inspires me to make what I'm doing even better. I'm constantly keeping my eye open for what the next thing is going to be. I didn't expect the amazing outcomes from the World's Biggest Analog mission - I was just following my own passion, and then I was able to get people from around the world to participate and benefit from it as well. I've learned that if you do the right things for the right reasons, the right things will happen. This advice was given to me by a mentor 15 years ago, and I live by that statement. Even when there were moments where I felt overwhelmed or like we failed at parts of the project, I kept going. In the end, the teachers and crew members who participated came out on top both professionally and personally. If you follow your heart, you're going to land somewhere that is very special.

The best career advice I ever received was from a mentor about 15 years ago, right before I started a major project. They told me: if you do the right things for the right reasons, the right things will happen. I live by that statement. It's guided me through everything I do, and it's proven true time and time again. Even when things don't work out exactly as planned, I remind myself of this advice - if you do the right things for the right reasons, the right things will happen. It helps me stay focused on my values and intentions rather than just outcomes.

My advice would be: if you do the right things for the right reasons, the right things will happen. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let setbacks be your barriers. Setbacks are just part of the process - they're not actually barriers, even though they can look like that. Really, they're opportunities for growth and to keep moving forward. I know for me, there were moments where I thought, why am I doing this? This is so much work, I'm overwhelmed, or we failed at this part. But in the end, the teachers and crew members who participated really came out on top, both professionally and personally. If you follow your heart, you're going to land somewhere that is very special.

I would say the biggest challenge is even learning about the opportunities that exist in the space industry and knowing that this is something people can jump into if they're interested. The space industry is exponentially getting larger and larger, especially with the commercial sector now involved. It's not just a government program anymore - it's becoming more accessible and interesting to the public. We're going back to the moon very soon, sometime within the next few months, and there are so many opportunities for people to get involved. Students need to be educated about this and see their place in space. The industry is up-and-coming and expanding rapidly, but awareness is still the biggest hurdle.

One thing I always want to make sure I do is that when someone leaves my presence - when they leave having an experience with me - I want them to feel good about themselves. I want them to feel good about the conversation and feel like we've accomplished something, or we will accomplish something. I'm building relationships with students and colleagues, whether long-term or short-term, and I always make sure to acknowledge my role in any professional conflicts. I really do like to make sure that the people around me feel like, professionally, we had a very good experience with each other - that we didn't waste our time together. I think that's important when you are leading a group or trying to get people to do things. You don't want those people in the room to feel like they don't know what they're doing or they don't have a vision of where they're going. I'm always leaning into my vision and knowing that people will follow you if you keep making them feel like they're a part of that.