My background in mathematics has been invaluable to me in the technical and problem-solving aspects of the work experiences I have had.

My first job upon completion of college at the University of Miami was in marketing. I worked for a small software firm and traveled quite a lot. The analytical skills I developed, as a result of my course of study, enabled me to interface with potential users effectively. I evaluated customer applications to decide how our database could best suit their needs. This information aided sales personnel and helped the marketing department forecast future trends.

Even though I enjoyed the fast-paced world of marketing, I felt the need to expand my work experience to include technical applications. I was then employed by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation working on-site at NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center. The problem-solving approaches I learned in school were essential in my day-to-day responsibilities at the Data Capture Facility.

I work in the Time Division Multiplex Telemetry Analysis section—a section responsible for monitoring the quality and quantity of the data as it is being telemetered down from a spacecraft. Following the successful receipt of the data, analysts check the quality of the data against expected known criteria, check the amount of data coverage to ensure that all the data are received, process the data into a usable format for the experimenters and, for some of the projects, transmit the data to the user community.