Dallas SWE is pleased to present a new series – Stories of Women in STEM – to feature stories of some of our talented members that highlight their STEM field, background, and advice for pursuing STEM. We hope this blog provides inspiration and an opportunity for girls to learn more from real engineers and the exciting possibilities in a career in STEM. Enjoy our Stories!
Please enjoy this feature with Ashanti Napper, Senior Systems Engineer at Raytheon Intelligence & Space.
Dallas SWE: Tell us about yourself! Please include your background, your journey, and why you decided to pursue a STEM field?
Ash: I started my career as an Avionics Technician in the United States Marine Corps. When I was first told this would be my job I was thoroughly upset. I had never even heard of the job, and I had my eyes set on being a Public Affairs Specialist. Little did I know that this career field would be the perfect fit for me. After my training I started working on the KC-130J Hercules Aircraft. During my time in the Marine Corps, I often questioned why certain aircraft systems were configured the way they were. I remember asking a senior technician, “Why can’t the Engineers just move this component two inches to the right”. Those two inches could have turned a 3-man, 3-hour job into a 1-man 1-hour job. Now, two inches might not seem like a lot however when you have just enough space to get your hand through a tight space to uninstall a component without having to uninstall the adjacent 150lb component, it makes quite a bit of difference especially to the Marines who want to get off work early on a Friday. During this time that point, I knew I wanted to be an Engineer. I wanted to be a part of the team that oversaw the design and development of new systems for aircrafts, to bridge the gap between engineering and maintenance to save time, cost, and resources but most important help out my fellow Marines.
Dallas SWE: Tell us about a typical day in your life. What do you do, and what is the best part?
Ash: My typical day consist of integrating and testing newly developed software, updated software newly refreshed hardware for Radar Systems. I also create procedures for radar systems hardware maintenance in an effort to validate test accuracy, document operational capability, an increase equipment efficiency.
Dallas SWE: What has been the coolest project you have gotten to do in your STEM field?
Ash: The coolest project I’ve gotten to be apart of would have to be the very first project I was apart of in my Marine Corps Career. It was the integration and flight testing of the Harvest Hawk System aboard the KC-130J aircraft. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the aircraft. As we integrated the system we were met so many different challenges but we took a deep dive into the technical capabilities of that system as well as the aircraft. It was intimidating, it was exiting and definitely humbling. That project planted a seed that grew and made me crave more opportunities like that. Although I’m no longer in the Marine Corps I have been working on various integration and test projects on various aircrafts since then.
Dallas SWE: Did you have any role models that helped you learn about or pursue your STEM field?
Ash: My Math Teacher from middle school Mr. Gooding. If I remember correctly I had gotten after school detention one day during his class. I was a bit of a class clown sometimes. While in detention I noticed that some kids were playing with legos. They weren’t regular legos though. Some of them were but most of the pieces I had never seen. It turns out My Math teacher ran the after school Lego Robotics Club. He must’ve sensed my curiosity because instead of making me write “I will not talk in class” 100 times he taught me about what they were doing and invited me to join the club. That’s what started my interest in STEM and that small curiosity has carried me through out my career and has grown much bigger sense then.
Dallas SWE: Do you have a favorite quote or any famous words that you live by?
Ash: “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” ― Arianna Huffington
I have failed so many times and it’s never easy for me to swallow. I am always much harder on myself than anyone else. I have to remember to show myself amnesty and understand that success and failure go hand in hand. I cant truly have one without the other. I’m working to not be so hard on myself and this quote helps me through those times where I failed and I feel like I’m not good enough or smart enough or that maybe I’m on the wrong path (despite all my success and accomplishments)
Dallas SWE: What advice do you have for girls interested in STEM? What are some of the ways to learn more? What helped you when you were young?
I would say don’t be discouraged if your path in Engineering is A-Typical. You don’t have to get a 4 year degree before you start your career. Some times getting certifications can give a jump start into a technical position and as time goes on you can build upon that experience. These type of positions can help you learn and give you hands on experience at the same time. So when you do decide to get that 4 year degree you would have a leg up in the classroom and you can directly apply what you would be learning to what you’re doing at work.
