Her Story
About Sheila
Sheila LimaStrong is a Lead Systems Engineer at MITRE Corporation. She has about seven years of experience in systems engineering. She started her career in mechanical engineering, seeking something technical, and moved into product development engineering. While attempting to relocate to the DC area, she was recruited to the National Security Agency, where she gained exposure to systems engineering and developed a strong interest in the field. She then pursued and earned her master's degree in systems engineering. At MITRE, she focuses on projects that bring technical innovation into the federal healthcare sphere, working with various sponsors and supporting employee development. She is a member of NCOSI, an organization of systems engineers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sheila
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to my own self-determination. I think a lot of my success comes from me not following others and doing what I think is important.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was to advocate for yourself and to do the best job at whatever you're given.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say try to go work in government before you try to work for government, unless you want to be a highly technical person.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are the political environment within the federal government. Funding is following the political pushes and not the needs of our country. The culture within the federal government takes on the administration, and those with integrity and strong work ethic are leaving because of the change in culture.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value being able to contribute your work in a way that supports the values that you hold. If the impact of the work isn't aligned with your values and what you want to see out of life, then you're really just getting money out of it. I really value impactful work that supports our culture.
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