HELLO, I'M SUZANNE HONEYCUTT
AND I WORK FOR THE NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER
I'M A PROCUREMENT ANALYST IN THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION
AND I AM THRILLED TO SHARE MY STORY WITH YOU.
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN MY LIFE.
SHE IS THE GROUNDING FORCE AND THE GREATEST ASSET
FOR OUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
SHE CAME FROM VERY MEAGER BEGINNINGS,
SHE HAD NINE BROTHERS AND SISTERS
AND THEY WERE VERY POOR.
SHE MANAGED TO GET HER G.E.D.
AND TO GO ON AND BE A COSMETICIAN
AS WELL AS A SUCCESSFUL BOOKKEEPER.
SO SHE HAS REALLY TAUGHT MY BROTHER AND ME
SOME VERY VALUABLE LESSONS.
SHE INSTILLED IN US VERY HIGH WORK ETHICS,
"DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING FOR FREE"
TO ALWAYS TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT AND TO BE KIND,
AND SHE IS A VERY STRONG WOMAN OF FAITH.
AND SHE HAS REALLY EXPERIENCED
AN AWFUL LOT OF TRAGEDY IN HER FAMILY.
BUT IT IS HER FAITH IN GOD THAT HAS BROUGHT HER
THROUGH ALL THIS...
BROUGHT ALL OF US THROUGH IT.
HER LIFE LESSONS ARE STILL WITH ME TODAY.
MY LIFE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN
WHAT I IMAGINED.
NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT
THAT I WOULD HAVE WOUND UP WORKING FOR NASA.
I WANTED TO BE A NUMBER OF THINGS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,
TO INCLUDE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, A TRAVEL AGENT,
AND EVEN A PHARMACIST.
I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THOSE ONLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALLY TRULY
PURSUE THEM WITH PASSION.
LIFE TOOK ME A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PATH.
I WOUND UP JOINING THE U.S. AIR FORCE
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I AM VERY PROUD OF,
SERVING OUR GREAT NATION, AND I JUST...
HAD ONE GREAT STEPPINGSTONE AFTER ANOTHER,
SO REALLY IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION I DIDN'T THINK
GROWING UP THAT I WOULD EVER WORK FOR NASA.
THE HAPPIEST MOMENT IN MY CAREER WAS GETTING PROMOTED
TO AN E-5 WHEN I WAS SERVING IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE.
LET ME SAY THAT, FIRST OF ALL, I WAS ONE OF TWO WOMEN
IN MY UNIT... OVER IN HAWAII.
I KNOW, TOUGH ASSIGNMENT BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT...
[laughing] FOR PROMOTIONS IN THE
AIR FORCE BACK IN MY TIME YOU HAD TO SIT FOR A TEST
AND SO FOR ME, THAT ENTAILED LEARNING NOT ONLY
ABOUT MY AIRCRAFT BUT ALSO ABOUT ALL THE OTHER
AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS ACROSS THE AIR FORCE.
SO I GOT PROMOTED TO THE E-5 RANK THE VERY FIRST TIME
I SAT FOR THE TEST. THAT WAS QUITE A GREAT
ACCOMPLISHMENT AND I WAS REALLY THRILLED.
NETWORKING...
I THINK IT IS VERY CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S WORLD
WHERE WE HAVE THE INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC.
THAT WE DON'T FORGET TRUE COMMUNICATION.
NOTHING WILL EVER REPLACE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION
AND GIVING FOLKS EYE CONTACT.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WOMEN WERE TIED TO A TYPEWRITER
AND A PHONE BECAUSE WE WERE TRADITIONALLY
FOUND TO EXCEL AS A RECEPTIONIST,
AS A SECRETARY, OR A CLERK.
THAT IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE. WOMEN HAVE REALLY,
REALLY COME A LONG WAY OVER THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY AT NASA.
YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR AGENCY AND THERE ARE SEVERAL WOMEN
THAT HOLD VERY HIGH LEVEL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
HERE AT THE NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER
WOMEN DO HOLD SOME VERY HIGH POSITIONS IN LEADERSHIP.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOW
ONE ANOTHER EMPATHY AND COMPASSION.
WE NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT SOMEONE ELSE
MAY BE GOING THROUGH IN LIFE SO I THINK IT IS
VERY WISE TO BE RESPECTFUL, COMPASSIONATE, AND EMPATHETIC.
REMEMBER WHEN THEY TAUGHT US IN KINDERGARTEN
TO BE NICE TO EACH OTHER AND TO SHARE?
WELL I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO JUST THAT.
THAT TOO WILL TAKE US VERY FAR IN LIFE.
BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING TO WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS,
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO REMEMBER
THAT WE NEED TO BE PROUD OF BEING A WOMAN.
WOMEN HAVE MADE GREAT, GREAT STRIDES OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS
AND YOU CAN DO WHENEVER YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO DO.
NEVER BE INTIMIDATED
OR LET SOMEONE TREAT YOU DISRESPECTFULLY.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THE WAY YOU CARRY YOURSELF,
TO BE PROUD TO BE A WOMAN AND TO KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE
WE ARE WOMEN DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE ANY WEAKER,
WE HAVE TO SET THE BAR HIGHER FOR OURSELVES
AND OF COURSE THAT IS PROBABLY SELF-IMPOSED
BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE...
DO IT BETTER...
AND JUST EXCEL.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT WITH WHAT EVER
YOU CHOOSE TO DO.
JUST GO AFTER IT. AND DO IT.