On November 1st, the JPL news website put out an article which I feel is very relevant to our class. It is about the journey of Janelle Wellons, one of the youngest engineers to work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The article goes into details about her high school and college experiences leading up her job at JPL. She faced many difficulties along her path including struggles with racism from her peers and mental health issues. Wellons received a scholarship to MIT and peers from her high school told her that it was only because she was black. This and many other instances of harassment led her to become depressed. After leaving high school and going to MIT she began to feel like she could express herself freely and found her passion for aerospace engineering. Just three years after graduating from MIT, she is currently working at JPL on the Diviner instrument Reconnaissance Orbiter. Her job is to make sure that the instrument is in good working condition and that scientists do not over work and potentially damage the machine. She is on a 24/7 call to help troubleshoot issues and to ensure the health of the instrument.
The implications of Wellons' story isn't really of scientific or engineering significance, but is more so an inspiration a future generation of kids who want to become engineers. Wellons proves that no matter what challenges or obstacles you might face, it is possible to live out your dreams as long as you put enough work in.
This is very relevant to our class and my JPL group because many of the people who are part of this program are in the same position as Wellons once was. They want to become engineers in their professional lives after college, but at the current moment, there is a lot of stress and doubt which makes these goals seem almost unreachable. I think it is important to remember that we are all going to be successful in our own way, and many of us, like Jenelle, will end up working jobs we love in the future, no matter how far away our goals seem now.
Comments