>>ZOE: How do you feel like your time in college
prepared you or did not prepare you for your career?
>>SYDNEY: When I was a student,
the perception of what I needed to be successful
was different than what I actually needed
to be successful.
[upbeat music]
We look at our classwork
to say, I'm learning this equation
and I have to memorize it for this test.
So I must need it in life.
And then when you aren't using that equation,
you're disappointed.
But the part that we're missing
is that, it was never about the equation,
it was about learning how to think.
And so my biggest takeaway from it
is I learned how to think like an engineer.
That's what I would encourage people to focus on.
Alright, how do I think about this problem?
How should I be approaching it?
Because that's what I use in both worlds.
I worked at The Boeing Company in Southern California.
That was my first job out of college, and I'm still here.
I've had the opportunity
to take a lot of different positions
while staying under the same company.
So that's been really cool.
So I started off as a design engineer
working on aircrafts like the 777,
where I got to lead the floor redesign,
but I've also had the opportunity
to work on aircrafts like the 777X Folding Wingtip,
where that is the first commercial aircraft
that has folded wings.
That's been a super cool and amazing experience.
From there I went into airplane repairs
where essentially customers, if they're having any issues
with the plane or something needs to be redone
or maintenance.
We fly out, we make these repairs.
And so you get to travel a lot for that
and go a lot of different places.
So that was an amazing opportunity.
And then more recently within the past year and a half,
I switched over to space side of things.
[chiming music]
And I never thought that I would see myself
on the space side.
I've always thought, Oh, I love airplanes,
but this has been such an eye opening experience
of beyond the sky.
I'm making things that are [engine roaring]
literally launching into space.
And so now I am the responsible engineering authority/
design engineer for satellite reflectors.
And reflectors are basically the part of the satellite
that send the signal back to earth.
I get to project manage and be in the manufacturing area
from start to finish of the reflectors.
And it's very cool
cause we build all of our satellite reflectors in-house.
So you are literally seeing the entire engineering process
in about a year or two.
>>ZOE: Awesome, that sounds really exciting.
>>SYDNEY: It is. It's really cool stuff.
>>ZOE: Zoe: Can you describe your daily routine?
>>SYDNEY: Sydney: So the cool thing is, every day is different.
But I would say overall, I am talking to customers,
talking to suppliers.
Okay, what is it that you need?
All right, suppliers, can you help us build this?
Sometimes I have to go out to the supplier
and visit them to say, all right, let me see your procedure.
Is this going to work?
Here's some tips of what I've seen work before,
or ooh let's not do that.
Our office sits above our labs.
So I'm upstairs, at my computer,
Hey Sydney, something happened on the floor,
we need your help.
Great, they're downstairs,
you're now walking down the assembly line of the reflectors
and you're just seeing everything being built.
The orchestrated chaos, this is happening over here,
that's happening over here,
and you're just watching everything day to day,
kind of build up.
You know those videos where they fast forward,
and like, you just slowly see a building being built,
that's what it's like everyday for me.
You're kind of like the conductor to an orchestra.
Just figuring out what pieces need to be moving,
at what pace.
And at the end you come up with this beautiful piece.
That'll be the reflector in this case.
[laughs]
>>ZOE: All right, and then what advice would you have
for current or prospective engineering students,
especially from aerospace engineering?
>>SYDNEY: My advice would be, own your career.
It is yours and no one else's.
You have so many people in the world to say, no you can't,
or you shouldn't do this.
But you know your heart, you know your passion
and it is your future.
So you call the shots.
So don't be discouraged by anyone
who maybe doesn't know the industry,
who's trying to advise you.
I had a high school teacher say,
"I don't think engineering's for you or someone like you."
[laughs]
And that crushed me
and I can remember coming back to high school,
visiting my teachers and seeing him
and being like, I'm an aerospace engineer now.
And he was like, "And you are?"
Oh, hi, I'm Sydney, I used to be in one of your classes.
And so I was upset for what?
For someone who didn't even remember who I was, right.
And so you take those lessons and you say,
okay, maybe that person had a bad day
or maybe they really thought that,
but what does it matter?
You're gonna continue to move forward.
You're gonna continue to do the things you love
and be passionate and be enthusiastic.
Take a hold of your career and any naysayers,
let haters just sit in the back.
[laughs]
>>ZOE: That's awesome advice.
If you were a student now,
what would you pay attention to in college,
knowing what you know today?
>>SYDNEY: I would pay attention
to the people who really support you,
really pay attention
to the people who are the ones cheering you on,
and even closer attention
to the people who are cheering you on,
but will also call you out when something's not right.
That's the type of relationships that you wanna keep.
And those are the people who you can help be successful
and they can help you.
My best friends will say, "Hey, Sydney.
"I think it's great that you're doing A, B and C,
"but I also need you to reflect on this."
That's like Oh, that was bad.
We're not perfect and that's okay.
But to have people who can help you
grow continuously in your life,
I mean, you want that, those are the people that you want.
Plus university of Michigan
has one of the biggest networks ever,
so why not take advantage?