My mom and I drove to the airport where we met Susan and Lisa. Susan was our chaperone from NASA Ames where she works as Project Manager for NASA Quest's Aerospace Online. Lisa was my one of my fellow members on the Advisory Council for Women of NASA (WON). Our mission: attend the conference, talk to women in math and science careers (AVIATION!), take pictures, get all sorts of interesting information, and finally, bring it back home so that all of our young women can hear about it too! On the plane ride to Memphis, we looked over the information we had about the conference, since Lisa and I had never attended anything like it! Upon arrival in the early evening, we checked into our hotel, had some dinner, and discussed our plans and expectations for the next day.

It was quite an early morning, especially considering the time difference our bodies were dealing with! We made it up and out on time, though, because we were so anxious about the big day! Just looking at the schedule we got in the mail made me dizzy. The first person we ran into at the Convention Center, where the conference center was being held, was Nancy Bingham. She holds a director position at NASA Ames in the aeronautics department and has been involved in aeronautics for most of her career. I was slightly flustered (I couldn't contain my excitement), but fortunately, we were able to talk to her and set up a time for an interview. Whoa! Lisa and I were totally in awe! Dr. Bingham was happy to talk to us, and had plenty of encouraging words. When asked about careers in math and science for women, and particularly aviation, she was full of support, and recommended keeping your eyes open to new opportunities. She said you probably won't know right away what you'll do in life, and you might not get there right away, but the most important thing is to keep going and never doubt yourself! She herself had what she called a "spiral career"; she got to where she is today by a slightly indirect route, trying different things, and being open to every opportunity that came her way. Now look where she is today! Just another reason to keep your eyes open! Don't be afraid to go for it!

Next, we heard Eileen Collins speak during the General Session. She spoke about her launch in July 1999, where she was the first woman ever commanding a space shuttle. On her first day of five days in outer space, they released the telescope that was loaded in the payload. This telescope is very advanced and takes excellent pictures of objects in outer space that will help scientists better understand what's out there! Then, for the rest of their trip, they conducted a variety of science experiments to test the effects of space and gravity. They experimented with plant growth, coral reefs, caterpillars, spore growth, a treadmill, and a UV telescope for taking pictures of the planets. Her biggest emphasis was that this amazing trip relied mostly on teamwork, and their primary concern was always safety. They also saw some amazing sights on the planet earth from outer space. For example, our thunderstorms look like big light shows from that far away. However, some scenes were not so enjoyable to see. There was erosion, land clearing, and major fires visible from even space that are damaging the earth's environment and its species. This is apparent even from outer space! Astronauts are trained to observe and document what they see, so they have a keen eye to spot these special points of interest. Commander Collins noted that advances in space travel will help us gain new knowledge about both the world we live in and the space around us.

Lane Wallace, an author and pilot, also spoke of her love of flying, and how she first discovered the excitement of flying. She didn't know in the beginning that she wanted to be in aviation, but eventually, she grew a great passion for it. Now Ms. Wallace has a column in an aviation magazine and is a successful author, writing from her heart about one of her great passions: flying! Her advice was to keep open to new possibilities, trust your heart and your instinct, and make your choices based on how you feel, not on what the rest of the world thinks. She also said that no matter what path you're headed down, as long as you have your heart in it, your journey will have been a joy. She was inspiring!

Hansel Tooks from Raytheon also spoke at the General Session. He commented on how there are so few women in aviation. Apparently, aviation doesn't change that often, but this organization has a chance to change. Our country and our world need women; they are a necessity to science and technology. Mr. Tooks emphasized that the most important thing is taking care of people and respecting one another. He was very optimistic about women's involvement in science and technology for the present and the future.

Nancy Bingham also spoke at the conference in a smaller session that day. She shared her personal success story about how she got to where she is today. While she currently works in engineering and project management, she started in bio-engineering, then went to aeronautics, then space, then management, then policies. While her career has been broad, and she was always changing fields, she was constantly reestablishing her reputation and challenging herself to take the next step. Ms. Bingham finds that the worst trap is over-planning your whole life because opportunities sometimes come outside of your own planning. She greatly values mentoring as a way to grow and learn, which is everybody's responsibility. One of the most important things in any area, according to Ms. Bingham, is knowing how to deal with people effectively. She is a great example for any young woman when it comes to succeeding!

Carol Russo, the Director of Aeronautics at the Glenn Research Center for NASA works with a program in advanced technology for jet engines. Specifically, she works with aeropropulsion and artificial intelligence. She stressed that you don't have to be good in everything - some things still scare her in math and science! Not everybody can be a "rocket scientist," but if you love math and science, just keep taking it and see where you end up. She had to push to get into the program at the University of Boston that would make her happy, but she's glad she did it. She was the only woman in her college class - imagine that! She also noted that managing and interacting with people is a very important challenge. Also, Ms. Russo said education and mentoring are great and necessary tools for success. She shared some of her own advice with the us, things that she learned the hard way. First, if you don't ask, nobody can say yes. Next, strive to keep your career and life options open in directions that offer you the most satisfaction. Last, you must balance your work and home because family provides the thread of life. Ms. Russo was a wise woman with plenty of good advice!

We also heard from Amanda Goodson, the Director of Safety from NASA. She has won many medals and awards for her achievements. She said it is imperative to have a passion for excellence. She encourages all women to "dream and be awesome!" While she didn't have a large amount of time to speak to us, she did encourage us to find a mentor, keep learning, and "stay in the center of the creative tension." Ms. Goodson also had a great sense of humor, and was a great example of a dynamic, motivating woman.

Another awesome women we spent some time with was Marta Bohn Meyer She is the Director of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. She worked her way up from Director of Flight Operations, Director of Aerospace Projects, Project Manager for Aerospace, and began as an Aerospace Operations Engineer. She was the first female crewmember assigned to the SR-71 - now that's a very cool plane!

I was completely, one hundred percent inspired by the women I met at the Women in Aviation Convention. Not only do I plan on pursuing a career involved in math and science, but I also plan on being just like they are: brave, bold, and ambitious. After hearing from women who have come so far, I don't doubt my own capacity to succeed in whatever I set my mind to. Right now, they all recommended that young women interested in any of these careers focus on learning more about the possibilities out there, keeping involved, and doing well in school. They strongly urge mentoring and exploration for young women out there who are ready to take on the world! All of the attendees realized that we are the future, and offered every young woman encouragement in all her endeavors. It was a comfortable and supportive atmosphere that celebrated women's passions and achievements. While I wish I could write more about my experience, and the many conversations I had, I'll leave my favorite part of the trip with you now - the stimulating and enlightening input of experienced women. For now, I'm working on doing my best in school and staying involved so that I, too, can keep my options open and be ready for every opportunity that comes my way! I'm keeping my eyes open!