Ruthanne Schulte

One of the main things is being in a really interesting industry. I would not have been a data entry clerk for the same company for 35 years. The aerospace and defense industry keeps me engaged - I mostly work for government contractors, so I do a lot of aerospace and defense, but I also do a lot of Department of Energy work, and I work on really interesting projects with constantly changing government regulations. It's very challenging work. Software is constantly changing - I started in the DOS days, and then we learned Windows, the internet, and now I'm learning AI. When I first started with AI, I was having to learn Linux and AI at the same time, and I thought I was too old, but it doesn't take long to pick it up. If it wasn't challenging, then I wouldn't have enjoyed it.

It's interesting, because as you get older, you hear the advice better. You don't even get the advice straight out - you watch things or hear things, and you take that on. I think, as I'm older and listening to it more, I've realized that you're not the one that's going to do all the work. What my responsibility is, is to shepherd the other people on the team, to get them to understand what they're doing, and to be able to do their role better. That's my role on the team.

I'll tell you what, it's a lot easier now than it was when I was getting into the industry. I was of the age of 'darling, let me tell you how we do things around here,' and if someone said that to someone now, they'd be in serious trouble. My thing would be that everybody should think that they need to work harder than everybody else, so that they'll shine better. I don't mean that to sound sexist, as if women need to work harder, but that's how you get ahead - you do better than everyone. Just like everyone else, not just women, but everybody needs to work harder than everyone else, so that they'll shine. And if I was to say anything to women, it's go STEM, 100%.

The ever-changing technology is a major challenge, along with the pressure from companies to have a profit. We just had a fairly large RIF (reduction in forces). Keeping up with technology is critical - I guess it was about third quarter last year when all this stuff went out about AI, and everything about our company, and basically, if you're not on the AI bandwagon, you're out of here. It's the constant keeping up with the technology and the industry. The government industry is constantly changing too, and everything is so competitive.

I guess that everybody's happy in both - not a petty happy, but that they are having a rich life. If people understand what they're doing, and they're contributing, and they're not just doing this little thing, but they're an integral part of the team, then they're happier. They feel valued, I guess, is the word. And with my kids and my husband too, to make sure that everybody is moving towards a prosperous life - a fulfilling and prosperous life.