I use software to create detailed drawings for models, design concepts,
and facility equipment. I am always working on something new. I have been
working at NASA Ames Research Center since I got my AA degree in computer
aided design from De Anza College in Cupertino, California. At first I worked
at the Ballistics Range on a scramjet project.
I take a designers plan for a full sized space entry vehicle and scale
it down to drawings for building a scale model. I need to know what the
researchers are studying. If they are studying the aerodynamic effects
of the model design then I might have to calculate the center of gravity
of the model.
My Career Path
When I was a child I enjoyed anything mechanical: model airplanes and cars.
I was very interested in Aerospace in Junior High School.
When I graduated high school, I worked as an automotive technician.
I went back to school to study Computer Aided Design (CAD). Both of these
fields require spatial reasoning or the ability to think about objects
in three dimensions.
Advice
If you are interested in a job like mine, I advise you to stay in school
and study hard. It's important to look at the big picture and plan how you
can get to where you want to be. Keep a balance in your life too. Get physical
exercise too.
Future Plans
In the future I plan to continue my work to learn more about new CAD software
and to learn more about engineering design. Personal
In my spare time I work out with weights and work on cars, right now I
am working on a 1957 Chevrolet. I have two dogs and I live in the Santa
Cruz Mountains.
