Her Story
About Rhett
Rhett Anderson works in defense contracting with a focus on homeland security and Department of Defense matters. She earned her master's degree in homeland security from Tulane University after attending St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Hockaday School for Girls in Dallas, Texas, where she received a full scholarship for boarding school following a period of being homeschooled. During her military training, Anderson received the Air Force ROTC Commendation Award, the Professor of Aerospace Studies Award, and the Warrior Spirit Award twice, and she was inducted into the Order of Sword and Shield Honor Society. She is a founding member of the Tulane Indigenous Student Organization, which supports Indigenous advocacy and education outreach, and she volunteers through her religious community on initiatives including beach reach and homeless advocacy. Anderson attributes her success to the kindness of strangers who mentored and supported her without obligation. She advises young women entering the field that they can do it, drawing from her own experiences of persistence, and emphasizes values of seeking truth, mentoring rather than bossing, prioritizing community and people over product, and doing the best with what one has. In her view, the biggest challenges in the field include a rapidly shifting employment landscape, rising tensions in foreign spaces, and frequent leadership changes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rhett
01What do you attribute your success to?
I contribute my success to the kindness of strangers. People around me who had no reason to be kind to me, to mentor me, to teach me anything, to feed me, to clothe me, to drive me to chemotherapy appointments, who had absolutely no obligation and no need to, but just took it upon themselves.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most important piece of advice I've ever received was perspective is your reality, but that does not mean it's THE reality. Always seek to find THE reality. Be afraid to be wrong. Be okay with the notion that maybe you made a mistake, maybe you were wrong, maybe your perception was incorrect.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You can do it. Simple as that. ... I knew I could do it. It was simple as that. I kept doing it over and over, because I just knew I could do it. And that's what holds so many people back. ... They just don't have that ability to see that they simply they can do it. And so, I would say that you can do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Big challenges are working with a rapidly shifting employment landscape for the Department of Defense. Heating up tensions in foreign allies spaces where we are becoming more militarily involved. Rapidly changing leadership with layoffs, replacements, shifting around of roles.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Most important to me in my work and personal life is seeking truth, seeking to mentor not boss. Community and people will always come before the product. Know who you're working with, and indulge in their needs. Embrace the things that they'll bring that are completely unique to you. Do the best you can with what you have.
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