Giving Back with Donna Joanne Q. Cendana

“To be able to contribute back to society and be able to serve the public” is one of the reasons Donna Cendana finds herself lucky to be able to work at NASA. During my interview at the Grove School of Engineering with Donna Joanne Q. Cendana, an Engineering Trainee at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, I have learned a great deal. Cendana is a well determined women engineer in the mechanical engineering field. She emphasizes to not get discouraged when facing failures, but to keep striving forward and to learn from them. She explained to me the joys of working within a team and the benefits of learning from others. One of the reasons that I even got to conversate with Cendana is because of the mere fact that we were able to exchange contact information through our similar contact.

Cendana learned about engineering through her father who was also a mechanical and industrial engineer who worked on HVAC systems. Cendana’s father and interests on how things worked are what inspired her to become a mechanical engineer. She currently has a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from the City College of New York and is currently working on her Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the City College of New York. In addition to her education her experiences in the field are what set her apart from other mechanical engineers. She has interned at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, FL, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA, NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA, NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, NY, and even a non-NASA internship at the US Army Corp of Engineers at 26 Federal Plaza NY. When asked about what she learned in through her internships she said that she learned a enormous amount from the different people, culture and projects she has worked on. She also added that there is much to learn “not only technically, but also socially by working in a professional environment.” Through her many internships with NASA she found her vocation, to work at a company that gives back to the community. After college she applied for a position in NASA through a job posting at usajobs.gov and now works at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

At the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama not everyday is the same. According to Cendana, everyday varies and depends on the project that you’re working on. Some days require going off site to test facilities, other days are for collaborations with your peers in team projects and analyzing data. Cendana stresses that when working with a team it is crucial to communicate with one another and to voice your opinion in order to get the best results. Communication is “the glue that holds everything in place” said Cendana. She communicates with people from different departments, directorate, branches, and other divisions inside and outside of NASA and said that miscommunication can be detrimental as it can cause the loss million of dollars. Writing is also as important as communication. Most of the writing that Cendana does is similar to that of scientific reports and research papers. When asked about the amount of writing Cendana added this, “we constantly document everything that we do, especially when we’re doing tests. I would say that we do write-ups everyday. We also have a memo that we are required to submit bi-weekly which describes the progress of our work.” While working at NASA, writing and communication has become a part of her everyday routine.

For someone with as much experience as Donna Joanne Q. Cendana it was only right to ask her for some advice for an inspiring mechanical engineer. During our talk, Cendana emphasized to experience new things early on to see if you like it. She told me to “Just Do It,” a Nike quote that she is quite fond of, she advised me not to hesitate when giving opportunities but to seize them. To sum up, internships are a great way to learn about yourself and what you want to do with your life. They also give you perspective and she encouraged me to start early. Another piece of advice that she gave me is to be honest with yourself if you can’t do something seek the help from others. She said” Don’t be afraid to seek guidance, pride and ego is something that hinders work progress.” Someone may know how to solve a problem that you can’t and vice versa so be efficient not stubborn. Lastly, she advised me to broaden my network to not only build relationships but to also learn from those around you.

Interviewing Donna Joanne Q. Cendana was a pleasure and at the final moments of our interview she encouraged me get out there and experience the world and find my vocation. Just how Donna Joanne Q. Cendana finds herself lucky to work at NASA I too want to find myself lucky to work at at company where I feel accomplished. At the end of the day, you want to have a career that you love. Especially a career that you look forward to working in the mornings … yes… even Monday mornings.