Eeman Abid

I would say what I attribute my success to is that I come from an immigrant background, so the drive and dedication is definitely there. I know that there's people back home that I need to make proud, and there's my parents that I need to make proud, and my home country that I represent every time I step out. So those are big factors of me pushing myself forward and making sure that I am successful. But also, another thing is not being afraid of failure, because if I'm afraid of failure, there's no way that I can be successful. Having a mindset and also having a good background and a support system has been crucial to my journey.

The best career advice I've ever received is don't be afraid to take that first step, even if you are not fully sure, or even if you are not fully satisfied with the opportunities you've gotten. It's really important to take that first step, because you're making that assumption that you don't like something, but you truly don't know until you step into it. This advice has helped me overcome hesitation and embrace new opportunities even when I wasn't completely certain about them.

I would say we need more women in this industry, so just do it. It's not easy, and especially as a woman, there are a few challenges that people don't really assume when you first go in the industry. But once you overcome the hardship, once you overcome the degree and the technical coursework, it is so, so rewarding to be in this field. It's so rewarding to be in a position where people can ask you, hey, I saw you doing this, I really want to do it, how should I do it? So it's really important to be that person that people look up to, and this field gives you an opportunity to do that.

One of the biggest challenges is that sometimes you are the only woman in the room, and depending on how you see it, it could either bring you down or lift you up depending on the room you're in. That's one of the biggest social challenges right now, because you have that imposter syndrome of wondering if you're supposed to be here when none of the people in the room look like you. But realizing that you are exactly where you're supposed to be definitely helps. Another challenge is that the space industry especially is very dependent on the government, so what impacts the industry is if the government is shut down, if it's open, and how much funding the space industry is getting from the government. As for opportunities, there are many. You don't have to be an engineer - you could be a technician. They hire a lot of rocket build technicians, people on the launch pad, and there are so many different kinds of engineers. You think of an engineer and the space industry needs it - manufacturing, mechanical, structural. There are opportunities to work in an office and opportunities to actually be out in the field at the launch pad. This is just for the space industry - the aviation industry in itself is also vast. You can work on every single component of an aircraft, from the engine, from the material that coats an aircraft, to the flight computers. There's a plethora of opportunities for every single major in engineering and also for technicians who don't want to go through a four-year degree and want to do something hands-on.

Something that's really important to me is integrity and also having moral values. I want to make sure the work I'm doing is not hurting anybody, and it's actually benefiting people for the good. That's one of the reasons why I also chose the space industry, because ultimately, you are contributing to the country and the country's moving forward in the space era and everything like that. So making sure that my work is creating an impact is crucial to me. It doesn't have to impact a million people or a billion people, but if I impacted one person, I know I've done my job.