[Kasandra] Engineering is a super creative field and you're able to use the skills that you learn, and create an awesome career.

Hi, my name's Rylee.

And I'm on a mission to talk to as many engineers as I can about this future-proof career field.

Today, I'm talking to an engineer who makes sure these fast birds are ready to fly.

I want to find out what else makes this career so awesome and how she engineered her own future when she was my age.

Ready?

Let's go!

So Kasandra, is it true that fighter jets can't fly until you make sure that they're safe?

Well, I wouldn't say me by myself, but there's a whole team of people that work together to make sure that the airworthiness of the planes, meaning the temperature, the electronics on the plane, where they're flying at, all of those things have to be in place in order for them to take off.

So with a team of people, we work together to make sure that that happens.

So what kind of engineer are you?

So by trade, what I went to school for, I'm an electrical engineer.

But right now my job is a process engineer.

So I help people go through the process of gaining their certification to fly.

I work in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at the Wright Patt Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

That is so cool.

So have you ever gotten to fly in one of those fighter jets?

[Kasandra] I haven't gotten to fly, but they often come on the base and we're able to go inside and tour different parts of the plane.

One day, hopefully, I'll be able to fly in one.

[Rylee] Yes, ma'am.

What do you like to do in your free time?

So outside of engineering, I am a doula, which is a labor support person.

So when a mom becomes pregnant, they would like someone to help them through the process, whether that's doing birth education or help with labor and delivery.

So I'm there in the hospital or at the home birth.

So a doula and an engineer are two different worlds.

Is there any challenges that come with very different jobs?

[Kasandra] Yes, definitely.

I'm using different parts of my brain.

But in the end, I'm trying to accomplish something that will make people proud.

And so, when you're an engineer and I'm helping people through the process of wanting to fly planes or getting trained in the simulator, the end goal is being able to fly and when I'm helping moms, it's going through the process of getting their body ready.

And in the end, flying with this baby and being totally, incredibly happy about the end result.

So when you were my age, were there any hobbies that you enjoyed doing?

So when I was a kid, I loved playing outside.

I was always outside skating, playing basketball, different kinds of sports.

And then since I was also kind of this math nerd, I was also involved in different robotics things, Lego building.

I love computer games, like The Sims, which is probably not even popular anymore.

Yes, it is!

[Kasandra] Is it?

I play The Sims all the time.

Oh, awesome.

So all of those things.

How did you know that engineering was gonna be something for you?

I didn't know at first, actually.

When I thought about engineering, I thought about a person on a train, conducting it.

That's what I thought an engineer was.

But I loved math and science.

And so when I was in high school, I had a college counselor who was a huge mentor to me.

And she knew that I loved math and was good at it.

So she suggested that I go to a summer camp for engineering.

And when I went there, I got to see all the different facets of engineering.

It opened my eyes to what I could do as an engineer.

That is really cool.

But since you talked about math and science, asking for a friend, coming from a middle schooler, do you have to be a pro at those two subjects in order to be an engineer?

Definitely not.

'Cause everything you're gonna learn, you'll learn by doing it, by practicing and just applying your knowledge and asking for help when you need it.

You don't need to be perfect.

But if you have a passion for it, that'll definitely help you be successful in it.

So did being a woman of color present any challenges in the engineering system?

It definitely did.

I went to a predominantly white college, and for that coming from a predominantly Black high school, it was definitely a culture shock for me.

So I had to adjust to that.

And then being in engineering, you don't see a lot of Black women.

So oftentimes, I felt kind of alone, felt like I needed to prove myself a lot more just to feel like that I could do it.

So sometimes that could be pretty stressful, but I sought out the extra help that I needed.

I joined the minority engineering program at the university and it was definitely just a super great support system to help me be successful in engineering.

Okay, so that kind of leads me on to my next thing.

What is some advice that you want to give kids my age who might wanna become an engineer just like you?

[Kasandra] I would say to always ask questions.

If you're confused about anything, definitely reach out to someone who can help.

Get into groups that are doing some type of engineering thing, whether it's robotics or makerspaces, just kind of get that experience early.

And just have fun.

Yes, that's the most important step of any job.

Yes!

But thank you so much for telling me how you engineered your future.

Thanks, Rylee.

I loved talking to you today.

[Rylee] Bye.

[Kasandra] Bye.

(light upbeat music) [Rylee] Mission accomplished!