Alyssa Will asked Tiera Fletcher (Guinn), Boeing AddedThursday, September 28, 2017 at 11:27 AM Hi, my name is Alyssa (13 years old) and this job has been my dream for years now. What did you have to study in highschool and college? What do you do? How can I be successful like you? Thank You. I want to work for NASA and be an Aerospace Engineer/Scientist. Some more questions are: What school/college did you go to? Why? Do you have an alternative career? Are you happy with your work? Again, Thank You. Related to Aeronautical/Aerospace , Choosing a Degree, Choosing a School, Communications, Difficult Classes, Education, Engineering Branches, Engineering Skills, Environment, Materials, Materials, Math & Science, Preparation for College, Space, Special fields and Interdisciplinary, Unique Challenges Areas of Impact Communications, Education, Environment, Materials, Space Reset Sort By Default Tiera Fletcher (Guinn) , Boeing Answered Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 9:14 PM Hi Alyssa, I'm so very happy to hear that you'd like to pursue rocket engineering. I went to a high school named Wheeler High School in Marietta, GA and it had a great STEM program where I was able to take engineering courses and advanced classes in general including AP classes as well as a Distance Calculus program from Georgia Tech. I opted to take classes like AP Physics C, AP Calculus BC, even AP U.S. History in order to have a rigorous background to then pursue a rigorous college such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. Upon getting accepted into MIT, I was able to transfer previous credit with the calculus courses I took at Georgia Tech to then get a head start on my aerospace engineering curriculum, which covers four major aspects of aerospace: thermodynamics, materials & structures, fluid dynamics, and signals & systems. I took courses in each of these subjects, but I delve deeper into materials & structures, which prepared me for my job today, as a Rocket Structural Analysis Engineer. On a daily basis, I continuously perform calculations in order to perform structural analysis on parts of the rocket. So yes, that infers that I stay at my desk quite often performing hand calculations to then perform finite element analysis. I love what I do, but of course I have other passions and dreams. I'd like to start a non -profit, start a few small businesses, write a few books, etc. Even though I am currently living one dream, I am still able to actively pursue others. All in all, my journey is only one way, but there are thousands of ways to get to where I am and beyond. Challenge yourself, attend aerospace engineering summer programs like USSRC space camp, explore what all aerospace engineering has to offer and continue to mold yourself for the future.