Mrs. Nicole L., Deputy Chief Operations Officer at the DoD
Published 20 Jan 2020
Tags: DoD, chemistry, engineering, management, women-in-stemWhy did you choose to pursue this career? What made you certain this was the right path?
I chose my college major, Chemical Engineering, because I enjoyed math and chemistry and wanted a job where I knew I could always support myself financially. I eventually moved into project management and less technical jobs, but the problem solving I learned in my undergraduate education continues to serve me well.
What schooling, education, and/or certifications did you complete to prepare you for this career?
Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, master’s degree in strategic Intelligence and Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification.
How did you make the best use of your time in both your education and career?
Always be willing to try something new.
What advice would you give to a high school or college student interested in pursuing this field of work?
Don’t give up. Getting your degree is likely to be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. Stick with it.
What opportunities would you suggest high school students participate in?
Anything that interests them. Stretch yourself, one opportunity seems to lead to others so put yourself out there.
What opportunities did you take as a student that helped advance your career (research, internships, etc.)
My undergraduate program was a 5-year co-op program where I graduated with a year of internships (fall, spring and summer internships). This allowed me the chance to try different things and enter the workforce out of college with a better idea of what work I enjoyed the most.