THE 'E' IN STEM: Christy

Why did I become an engineer? Growing up, I knew I liked math more than other subjects. I loved the certainty of it; you were either right or wrong. After that, science tended to be enjoyable, with the more math, the better. And English ranked near the bottom, with writing essays being one of my least favorite activities.

I decided to major in engineering in college because it sounded like a fun challenge. And it was. But thanks to a meticulous high school calculus teacher (whose homework assignments I resented at the time but now appreciate - thanks Mrs. Manley!) I excelled and enjoyed my first year of college.

By my senior year of college, I had chosen a mechanical engineering major and worked as a co-op designing aircraft engines at GE. I was lucky enough to fly on NASA’s weightless wonder (aka vomit comet) as part of my senior project, and upon graduation accepted a job with Raytheon in Tucson, AZ.

Working at Raytheon has been an exciting career full of growth and opportunity. I have traveled to military bases across the US, Italy and the United Kingdom to support flight test programs. While engineering involves a lot more writing than I hoped (because if you can't communicate your work effectively, you might as well not have done it) it is a great career that has allowed me to grow as a person, travel to new places, and have a flexible schedule to enjoy time with my family.

About the author: Christy Spencer, 36, obtained her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee. She currently works part-time at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ. Her and her husband have three lovely children ages 6, 4, and 2. When not working or "mom-ing", she likes to read science fiction and go hiking. She also volunteer teaches Computer Science at a local high school.