Don’t Sleep on HBCUs: We’re Leading in STEM

There’s a narrative out there about HBCUs, but the results tell a different story.

In this episode, Kara Branch sits down with Kia Smith, Regional Supplier Quality Manager, to talk about what it really looks like to go from an HBCU to leading at a high level in STEM. From managing global teams to overseeing multi-million-dollar portfolios, Kia’s career reflects what strong preparation and execution look like in real time.

This conversation goes beyond inspiration—it’s about outcomes. Kia shares how her HBCU experience shaped her confidence, discipline, and ability to lead, and why these institutions continue to produce some of the most capable and impactful talent in engineering, business, and beyond.

Together, they break down the connection between education, workforce readiness, and performance—and what it takes to not just enter the workforce, but stand out in it.

If you’re a student deciding your path, a parent guiding the next step, or a professional thinking about preparation and leadership, this episode is for you.

To learn more about Kia and her work, visit www.worldofkia.com

Because the truth is simple: HBCUs are not just creating opportunity - they are producing leaders.

🎧 Tune in and hear why the results speak for themselves.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Welcome back to Black Girls to Engineer Podcast. I'm Cara Franch, chemical engineer and founder and CEO of Black Girls to Engineers. And today I'm going to say it clearly. Don't sleep on HBCU because the conversation out there doesn't always match the reality. HBCUs are producing leaders, innovators, and talent that are not just entering the workforce, but leading it. This episode is a part of our day in a life series, but we're taking it deeper because this is about preparation, performance, and outcomes. I'm joined by Kia Smith, Regional Supplier Quality Manager at a leading global team, managing multi-million dollars portfolio and driving real results at a high level. And her journey is proof that HBCUs don't just prepare you to graduate, they prepare you to execute, lead, and deliver. So today we're talking about her day-to-day, her path, and why the results coming out of HBCU speak for themselves. Let's get into it. So welcome, Kia, to Black Girls to Engineer Podcast. Thank you, Cara. I'm so happy to have you on. We have crossed so many different paths. Yes, we have.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Yes. Thank you so much. You honored me getting the award a few years back for my time mentoring. You know, I still have my first mentee from your program. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Yes. I get excited about. So we gave you the award, but you earned the award through all your greatness in the workforce and the community. Thank you for still being dedicated and committed to your mentee. You're able to see the beauty of them evolving and going out into their path. It's just amazing. So you know they're part of it. And now we get to have a great conversation to really let our listeners get to know who you are. We're going to talk about HBCUs. You know, we're both alumni of HBCUs. So I'm a listeners who don't know what that is, that's historically black colleges and universities. And they've produced amazing leaders in the STEM workforce in mini workforce, period. And so we're going to get into that portion as well as just really focusing on a day of the life for our youth that listen so that they can be inspired by your story. So let's start with your foundation, really letting the people know who Kia is and talk a little bit about really what inspired you to go down this DEM path first.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Sure. So who is Kia? Kia is a Louisiana girl in the California world. It's just who I am. I still have my roots in Louisiana. I often visit and support any type of activities in the community I can. I also attend a lot of activities that are active with my alma mater, the Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And for me, it started there with Southern University. And let me tell you why. My parents, Billy and Juanita Smith, they're both the late, they're in heaven. They met at college at the Southern University. And they met in the College of Engineering and Sciences. And they fell in love, got married their junior year, lived in the marriage dorms, and then ended up having my older sister, who then also went to Southern University, majored in math, and then I followed. And really, it wasn't just the fact of seeing them operate because they they worked in engineering their whole lives, you know, for a big oil and gas company in Baton Rouge. And it was really those summer programs they put me in as a kid, I feel like. And getting in trouble for like you're gonna be teaching the people classroom, you know. But it's just it's okay, you know, because we live to tell the tale. And at the end of the day, that just kind of sparked a little bit of leadership skills, right? That I was able to really cultivate and develop by the time I got to college at Southern University, because I was class president, you know, I pledged, you know, the pink and green, and and all of that helped me to become confident, learn how to speak, learn how to get a point across without being too long-winded, but giving enough detail and knowing my audience. And then, of course, learning the technical side of things with being able to get my scholarships and internships every summer. So by the time I got to graduate and had to go to the workforce, I at least had the chops to sell myself as an aspiring engineer, even though my degree was a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a minor in math. I still could sell myself to be that engineer because I'm naturally problem-solving and driven and the type of person that can get out there and learn anything and do whatever it is that you asked me to do. You know, so I immediately started working in the field and I've done so over 20 years now. At this point in time, working in space, aerospace, and defense corporations, all kind of tied together to the point to where, you know, I was walking around a manufacturing facility today. Like, it's just so crazy how I just could do a lot of these things in my sleep. I know what it takes to build a large product, I know what it takes to build, you know, small parts, I know what it takes at the end of the day to run a team, whether it's you know, a global team, a local team, a STEM technical team, or a cross-functional team, you know, from a project management, program management standpoint. So I'm so blessed to be able to do so. And it all really started, interestingly enough, in my HBCU.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

You know, so much in that intro. Okay, a lot of great things. I got about South of first how you related Louisiana to California. I never heard it like that before. Uh, my whole family's from Louisiana. So to compare the two, it's just an amazing thing. Uh, we got to talk more about that too. Well, about how that is, that that culture connection between the two. But also, what I love that you said how your parents met. I was just on Podcast episode a few weeks ago where we were talking about what HBCUs, it's a family thing. I was feeling sure like my family started going to pray like when it opened, like in the early 1900s, right? And a lot of people, you know, don't think about that. I don't really think like for me, it was heavily pushed, like to go to prayer view. I didn't really learn about my grandparents going there like that early and stuff until I was at prayer view. And it's really the culture, it's really like you fall in love with that experience once you step on campus. So to see that your parents went there, they you know that HBC love is a whole nother thing. A lot of people end up married, to see that they got married, that your your sister went there, like the whole like HBCU vibe, but also getting very great grand productive degrees, that's amazing in itself. So that's that I love all of that. And I love how you talked about how you've had this 20-year career and that all of what you are today is from your HBCU. So let's talk a little bit about like your experience on the HBCU campus because a lot of times people feel like HBCUs are party tools. And I always tell people, like, we had hump day on Wednesday, but as an engineering student, I lived in the engineering building. Like I could not be involved in all that party. I didn't have the time. But the culture, it's just the presence that ambience of walking around on the campus was just beautiful for me. So let's talk about like how did it feel being on campus as an HBCU student?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

So it felt great for me because even though I grew up in Zachary, Louisiana, shout out to Zachary, it was a really small country back then. I didn't think initially I was going to Southern, but Southern offered me so much money and scholarships and grants and opportunities and interests that I would have been crazy to not go. So I really was like, you know, didn't they these technical schools I was gonna go to? That was like they didn't offer me but half a full ride. And I was like, and Southern's offered me seven times the full ride, meaning a refund check. I was like, it's 16 years old, I knew like logical decisions is where it's at for me. And so I'll say the feeling of arriving was great because I remembered like going on my senior trip and starting the summer school of freshman year. So other people wait till the fall, I started in the summer, but it's because I was in a program called Timbuktu Academy that was specifically for SEM students. And I was like, okay, Timbuktu has a starting in the summer. My class trip was like, I don't know, say if if it was start ended on June 5th, and summer school started like on June 2nd. So I knew coming in I was gonna be late, I was gonna miss, you know, the meeting the friends in the class early on and moving in the dorm. But it was what it was, and I got there and they were still open armed. Shout out to that SBI Summer Bridge Institute 2000, because they all was like, wait, we were waiting on you, girl. You're our new friend, and we're all still friends to this day. Like they had a group chat going on yesterday because one of our one of our members, Tasha Henry, rest her soul, she passed away. And they're texting because we're trying to make sure her baby gets into college and gets the opportunities together. But that's how strong our bond was. Like, what do that is, right? To this day, 20 some years later, 26 to be exact, right? So it felt like home. And then on top of that, when the fall started, it's like it was nothing. Because at that point in time, I'd been on campus in the summer programs years before, and that summer before freshman year. So I remember getting there for freshman welcome week and it just being a vibe, right? You know, everywhere you go, it's a DJ, it's a this and that. And it's great because again, they they're making you comfortable, it's giving family reunion vibes. But after that freshman welcome week, it's time for business, right? You gotta go to honors college, you gotta take your colloquium classes, you gotta go to sit in your Timbuktu sessions and learn about accuracy and precision and how important that is, you know, and you got to get in that math class and getting those differential equations and those intervals. It's like at the end of the day, it's like you still gotta handle your business. And I knew at that moment, like this is for me because it's given a good mix of intelligence and the vibe. And then on top of that, I immediately got in student government, I immediately joined the gospel choir. Shout out to S U I G C who are still my friends to this day. We just had a reunion count concert recently for our director turning 60. And so I felt like it was just what I was made for. And who knew? Because I was about to go to a whole technical school, and I get there and I'm like, this is living, breathing love for my ancestors that built this school for me. And no, they knew exactly what it is that would make up all the parts of me because it's not just the intelligent part, it's not just the part that likes to have a good time, it's not just the part that wants to be with my friends and family and all that. It is everything, it's all the combination of who we are as kings and queens and princes and princesses from back then, and they knew that. So they put it all in one spot for us, so we can do nothing but be ourselves. So I felt like myself, and I felt like I was able to cultivate who I was and really shine and work on my gifts versus all the other things that you would normally have to deal with when you're out in the world where you're the minority and not the majority.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Yeah, and I agree with all that. Like it is that that rigor is still there. Like I remember, so a lot of people don't know this about me. When I did my senior trip to my my HBCU, I remember getting off the bus and I told my friends, oh no, I can't go here because there was a lot of culture and it was too much fun. Like, but I knew they now and I know they set that up for preview, like so you can see what it feels like to be there. And I and I actually had a scholarship to another school. But I ended up going to my HBCU because the it felt good. Like every time I walked on campus, I felt good. Being able to see so many people that like was look like me. We didn't have as many women in our engineering program, but be able to come together and have fun, but make sure we all study together, make sure we all was gonna make it. Oh, maybe because they held me accountable. Where are you?

SPEAKER_01 14:04

You're like, come on, you did you do your homework? You do your and I'll be like, Thank you, friend, because I sure forgot we at home.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yeah, doing holding you accountable, those smaller class sizes was like the truth. Like, yeah, because you, you know, you're taking these very hard classes. And for me, what I loved about my HBTU was that being able to go straight to my professor office hours rather than having to go to CAs and stuff like that, that was a huge benefit for myself. So, like, yeah, like that that whole vibe, that culture. I want people to understand that there is rigor that comes with that. Like, we know how to listen to the DJ, we know how to go to class, though. We know we we have to be in class. That's what we're there for. Yep. But I do want to tell you this, honey. Yeah, like you, but you have to have that focus because you can't have fun, but that's at any college. I want people to understand that too. Like at any school, you can go and have the time of your life, but it's up to you to be focused. So I I do want people to understand that culture and that rigor comes with that culture, and that there is a lot of opportunity. I'm happy that you were able to get a great scholarship to go. Yeah. Um, and it's important for the the youth to also know about summer bridge programs, too, because I talk a lot about that with the youth. Like they always think about the fall. And I understand like fall is cute because you get to bring all your stuff on campus with everybody else and get that experience. But with engineering programs, they can go to quick five year programs. And so a lot of times people get ahead of that is with those summer bridge programs, and so for a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

And your GPA starts early. Oh, yeah, you can knock out that 4.0 because you're only taking three classes. You probably got an English, a math, and something else. And now you got you were able to focus on those three classes with your small, you know, classroom full of folks to help you without all the distractions because it isn't the fall and people not crossing, and and the parties not having the homecoming, not happening. So you end up having the opportunity to get that 4.0 early. So if it drops, it's got some cushion versus the other way around. If you start off low, it's hard to get it back up.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Yes, all those gems. So for high school seniors who's listening, I know you may be thinking about, okay, fall, here I come, but you need to call up your universities and see what they have in the summertime for you to get that head start, especially with these STEM degrees. You need that. So I'm happy that you mentioned that because I don't think enough people talk about that. I know a lot of students these days are focusing on like you know, their dual credit from high school or AP. That's that's cool. But there's a lot of other classes that the college is going to require that you can do in that summer bridge program to get out the way so that you can continue going forward. And like you said, having that GPA, well, that sets you up for those conversations around internships, too. Yeah. So there's a lot that can happen before you even step on campus in the fall. And I'm sure you bet it because I wish somebody would have told me that they have those summer bridge programs. I I went in the fall and I was learning from other engineering students that they was already there. Yeah. So for my high school seniors, call up your schools and see what you can get into.

unknown 17:29

So no.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

And it's middle school through tenth grade. So you can go do your summer bridge that way, or you can come back and do the TMCF, third or marshall college fund store program, right? Rising Juniors and Seniors. So there you go. Every summer you could be up there doing your thing. And you know, once you get in a TMCF family, honey, then you can get all the points from all the corporations.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

So that's that's research. We talk a lot about all the technology at your finger, your fingertips, right? And and a lot of gems is being dropped in this podcast right now. But if you're like, I want more information, it's it's getting your search engine, yeah, and see what those opportunities are because there is a lot of money out there, especially for scholars. There's a lot of people coming out of high school with very high GPAs and most definitely are scholarship ready. So you do your research, don't think about spending the summer at home or or just you know, what my dorm room is gonna look like right now. That's all great. Because you're excited, but also think about how do I get that that those opportunities in that first step ahead of the game so I can knock out this degree and get ready for my career. So a lot there and all those great things. I'm so happy we're having this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

So the kids can go. Go no to go where the money resides and go where you celebrate it, honey.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

And for and for my parents that's listening, do go tap your high school singers on the shoulder and share this information with them so that they can make sure they're taking advantage of these opportunities on the schools that they're going to. So let's talk about like how your HBCU prepared you for the workforce. So, like, as you were the student, what do you feel like they taught you that some of your peers may have not have known when you entered into the workforce?

SPEAKER_01 19:32

One thing is speaking, public speaking, presenting an image. Oh, they were so big on, you know, how you should look, how make sure you have your business attire, right? Versus business casual, how you should be early and what everybody will learn, right? To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to what be late. Like these are the things that they taught us there, you know, on top of even hair presentation, right? All the way down to, you know, when you do show up, how how are you communicating effectively, especially if you're the one leading the effort? You need to be greeting everyone, you need to be timely. If you're gonna have a presentation, have it ready. If you're gonna be on video, have it ready, right? And and get to it, get to it. Don't sit here and mumble, don't get up there beating around the bush. Handle your business and act like you got some business to handle. When I tell you that the faculty and staff was giving aunties and aunts because they will get you together real quick, right? And they'll be like, no, you're not about to embarrass me or yourself. And and I think being able to do that, and even just the culture of remember being on campus and introducing yourself, having your pitch. I'm a sophomore, majoring in physics, monitoring, whatever, matriculating in, right? Yeah. Like we all had our little, we knew how to have our little speech, you know, and and it was just a thing, it's like it cultivated and groomed us all the way to when I graduated. I remember like doing pageants after I graduated and I won a few pageants. And I remember one of one of the previous pageant winners who was actually going for my competitor, she she kind of said, Well, apparently you interview well, because the interview portion picks, you know, not to 10 has a good port weighted average on the judging of a pageant, right? And she was like, Apparently you interview well. And I get it because the dress I ordered didn't come in, so I had to my dress was not the best, but it didn't matter because I my presentation on that stage was hitting, that confidence was there, and the interview was apparently bomb, right? Yeah, but it's because I nearly went back to that's from pledging in a sorority in in undergrad and my HVCU because they make sure you know how to come at the rescue on the mic, having to answer questions, right? In front of 400 people. So it's like if you can't do that there, you're definitely not gonna. Be over here wowing the people they have to actually judge you, whether it's a pageant, where it's a job interview, whatever the situation is, or somebody got to choose whatever your next next steps are for you, you know, and and your life is in their hands when it comes to that. You just gotta stay ready to get ready. You get that at the HGCU because they're going to teach you how to do those things.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

And that's I'm happy you mentioned that because I was having a conversation with some college students, and that was something they said they wish that they had more skills of, like those soft skills and really having great presentation and knowing how to talk to others. We were gonna learn you regardless. You're gonna be in some team, you were gonna be doing some presentation, and you were always gonna be talking to somebody. And a lot of times in college, I think we prepared each other because everybody was always talking about what's going on with them. And they kind of helped you like kind of understand how to present yourself. And I think the other big things that helped us too was those college and career fairs. Oh, heck yeah. Yeah, those bring you the light uh down the earth, like to life real quick, like real quick. If you're not prepared, those college and career fairs are gonna get you all the way together, especially in the organizations.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

Like I went to Nesby, National Society of Black Engineers conference every every year in undergrad. And that throws you out there because you're immediately not just talking to the corporations that came to your school for your career for everyone like every corporation, and you're you're mingling with other students from other universities, right? So the bit the best versus the best at the end of the day. But what it helps you do is also to kind of level set yourself because right, you might think you're good, but then you see somebody that's like, oh, that's good. Yeah. And then you kind of can mix your judge with their judge to come up with the ultimate like superhero that you want to represent, right? Which is yourself. And but you get that opportunity because the HBCUs will take you to the conferences for the organizations that represent not just your major, but the ones that you're a part of that's helping with your leadership development.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

Yeah. So all those are great things. Um I I will say, because there's so many student organizations on campus that come together and make sure you get to those conferences. I'm at a stage now where I get a lot of students that ask me for sponsorships at those conferences. Right. But I forget about the other side of how you all like everybody came together to get there. And that is a life-changing experience because you may sit in college taking those main classes that you need at the beginning, and you might be like, Well, I wonder what can I do with my career, where can I go, right? Those career fears shift your mindset to be like, huh, that's how these classes work, and these are the companies that I can go into. And uh, the beauty of those where I see, I know for sure when we were in school, people were landing interviews right on the spot. Correct. Um, and and getting being able to walk away with internships from from those conferences. So if you are not at these conventions and conferences, and I've been telling college students to go to all of them because I think one thing I can say about being a woman of color and going to HBCU, we get stuck in the zone where we want to go to just ours. And I'd be trying to tell people look, you need to go to all.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

All of them, all of them, all of them. And you'd be surprised who your advocates could be. They might not look sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Go to all of them. And you have to get yourself out of your comfort zone too. That was something I had to teach myself because I came from an underserved community. I was used to being around people who always looked like me, then went to HBCU, where everybody looked like me. So me going my first job when I was the only one who looked like me, it really, really took me back. So you have to get out of your comfort zone because once you get into this space, it ain't that many that look like us. Correct. We're gonna have to learn how to talk to everybody, and there's opportunity at everyone. So I say that to my college students all the time. I feel like I speak that time blue in the face sometimes. Yeah. But go to all. And and I and I love that you mentioned that. Soft skills is most definitely something. And I think many of them don't just don't have it because of COVID. Oh, and you're right about that. Yeah, they it's you know, they didn't have that opportunity. I know many people who now are graduating from college were the students who started during COVID. Um a lot of missed opportunity that there, but you can't let it hold you back. You still got to put yourself out there and learn these so important skills. So I'm happy you mentioned that. Other things I felt like I learned was I learned how to use different softwares that my peers didn't know how to use. So when we would be in the workforce, like stuff that requires specific softwares, they would always bring it to my desk because my peers didn't learn that at their schools. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

Well, and just software acumen, I think just like you, business acumen is important as you grow in your technical career, software acumen are even just IT basics. Because what happens is even when you're all these virtual meetings and all these, you know, the teams and the Zooms and the whatever's of the world, you can even see people that aren't comfortable using those. But if you're on there like doing the thing, setting it up, making it happen real fast, and enhancing your business, especially with the capabilities that some of this AI has, it immediately makes people look at you in a different way. Yeah. Like, oh, you know what you're doing, you know. Yeah. Because even if once you get to management, when you're not using some of the technical software every day, you're still using dashboards at the end of the day with AI in there to actually manage your KPIs, right? So that way you can make sure your metrics are hitting, you're meeting your goals, find out where your problem children are, and then actually go and attack it, right? To to show how you can perform. Yeah. Well, as you grow in your career, you have to at the end of the day embrace technology and learning how to do that early on, along with the soft skill. Oh, that'll make you a beast.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

Yeah. So all those things are needed. So I do want to talk about like what do you think it's misunderstood about students, you know, coming out of HBCU? So now you've had this 20-year career, you you know what you've done and how you've been able to just master it all, right? We'll get into that shortly. But what do you think is mostly misunderstood about students who's coming out of HBCUs or that go?

SPEAKER_01 28:54

That the curriculum is not, that the curriculum is subpar and it's not on the same level as other universities. That is a big misunderstanding simply because what a lot of people fail to realize is yes, they might be underfunded in some cases, but sometimes when you don't have the funds, it allows you to be more creative, more in-depth, more purposeful in your communications, right? And you sometimes learn things the manual way versus the probably quicker, you know, way that other people are learning it. And here's the gag. I don't necessarily have to learn that in the curriculum directly at this school that I'm at because there's so many joint curriculum programs. So I can go to Southern University and then, you know, do a dual enrollment and take a certain class at LSU. And so I can be the HBC student and be a Jaguar while still going to get maybe if if it's a certain, you know, class, like maybe it's an aerospace engineering class that I want to take LSU or chemical engineering class because I know Southern might not have that particular class. Same way I can go to Moorhaus or Spelman and do my three years and then go to Georgia Tech to do the five-year program. There's so many opportunities to do so. And even on the other end, I've even seen people go to in California, go to some of these PWIs here and then do a year to HBCU in their program just because there's certain programs set up like that. But I obviously recommend the other way around. You should spend most of your time at your HBCU to formulate who you are, formulate your thoughts, formulate your learnings and how you're going to drive in this world who you are and the things that make up you, right? Yeah, your intelligence. But at the same time, you might can pick up a few things in their dual enrollment. And the other side of it as well is a lot of these big corporations to go get their diverse talent, they come to the HBCUs or they partner with the HBCUs. Therefore, you probably will get whatever technology they donate to you, or you'll get whatever opportunity there is to come and work at their facilities and use their top-notch software programs, right? That's literally the program that I was in in school, my main scholarship. And that's how I ended up in California because they would send me to California often to work in, you know, in the space industry. So I knew, oh, I love California. I'm gonna move there when I graduate. It's my ministry. I knew it from a little girl watching like the Mickey Mouse Club and seeing the palm trees on there and saying, Oh, we filmed this here. I'm like, oh, I'm going there one day. And the moment that I got an opportunity to come and work every summer and then get an opportunity to come and and work when I graduate, it was like it was just gonna happen, right? At the end of the day, like that's this sun sunshine that you see in this window, right? With this lighting. It's just California. But it's perfect because think about it. California has like Silicon Valley and aerospace and the fence all over. It's literally like even in the role I'm in, it's literally like 600 aerospace companies that you know my team is ultimately responsible for. So therefore, that tells you that along with the company I work for, there's so much opportunity. And this company still has a partnership with Southern University, right? And other HBCUs. So that tells you right there, like if I go somewhere else, I'm not gonna get that attention, they're not gonna, and even if they have programs like that, that doesn't mean they're gonna pick me because I have to compete against all these other people. Versus if I'm coming over here and I'm gonna be the best of the best at this school, oh, they're gonna take care of me, right? And I'm gonna take care of them and make them look good, right?

SPEAKER_00 32:49

Absolutely. No, I love that you said that because to be honest, when I was at my HBCU, I never thought about that because, first of all, for many reasons, what people don't realize when we choose HBCUs, that we have a pool of other schools to choose from. And and I can they consist of every level, okay? Especially with my programming. I've seen girls who have been selected into PWIs, IB leagues, and HBCUs, and and they still would choose to go to HBCU because of that connection. And that's why I always tell high school students visit these campuses so you can understand like how it feels to be on that campus, and if this is something you want to be, somewhere you want to be for four years. That's very important. Yeah. So when I was in in school, because my school was a part of a PWI. So like so, like I never understood like the whole curriculum thing because our curriculum was their curriculum. Correct. And so I was kind of like, we we we take the same classes at the same rigorous level, like we're required to do the same. So yeah, to me, it's like what they're talking about, but we're just capable. It's it's really that comfort, that comfort for us, especially going to college is just scary in itself, but you want to feel comfortable on any campus you go to, and that's for anybody who's gonna select their school. So that was like, I want people to understand that. Like we have choices too. Yeah. Because I don't think if you get it misunderstood, like this is just the only option. No, we we have more options. Like I mentioned, I had a scholarship on the table and I went to HBCU. So I want people to understand that I and I do think people go about the curriculum, but I can say, and I'm sure you can say from working in industry, the curriculum is there and the real-world life experience and exposure that they teach us is also there. So we're able to go into industry and thrive at the top of the top. And it's it's not, I didn't feel like my professors were so like, you know, you need to learn from like, because I'm black, right? Or make us feel like we had to go the extra mile. They just prepared us. That's it. It was just preparation. It was never really said or talked about. If they knew exactly what needed to be done from a preparation standpoint, so when we went out there, we were just prepared. That's it. I want people to understand that. Like they put in the work, and like you said, they do have a lot of barriers when it comes to funding. That makes them work harder. I feel that every day, all day. And so that is a good point that you made there, because that is the truth. I don't want people to ever have that that perception of the quality is not there. Oh, it's there.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

And the proof is in the pudding. Think about it. Just a few months ago, you and I were on the stage getting the award. Hello.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Yeah, we okay and just but it's just that that those skills, they they they made us work hard, just like any other school, I believe in. Got a lot of products, great products that came out of it. So right. We we're gonna talk about your greatness as we talk about transitioning to what you do from a regional level, which is people don't understand that's a lot of work. When you're over a region, that's over multiple areas. So I think let's talk about that. So when people are listening to this podcast and are thinking about different roles, they can go into. I really want them to understand what your day-to-day look like as a quality manager and your role. So let's get into that. And then not just the title, what you actually like do on the day. What you understand? Because sometimes we get caught in titles, and people be like, Oh that beautiful title, and that's great. But like, what is the day-to-day and how it how your day-to-day looks, so people can really understand what it is that you do. But let's get into that portion.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

So, interestingly enough, I remember throughout my career thinking, like, I think I'd probably be better suit for a regional role. But you know, time has to meet opportunity, right? And talent.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

So that one more time for the people in the back because sometimes people don't realize that you got to put in the time. So yeah, put in the time, get your talents together, right?

SPEAKER_01 37:29

You have to really have your gifts, honey on your gifts to sharpen them because then the opportunity comes, and then it's hands down, like, oh no, you you're the person, you were made for this, right? Nothing to talk about. And I think a lot of times people get so caught up in doing things in the opposite order, like you give me the opportunity, but you're not ready for it. Even if you get it, you might vomit, not be happy, be miserable in what you're doing, right? And the goal is to be happy and to be thriving, right? At the end of the day. And yes, we got to get our coin, but do what you got to do to have all coin and happiness, right? Yeah, and thriving. And so for me, I at a certain when I got to mid-career, right? Because there's levels to this. You could be entry level right after college, then you become mid-career after you've been in your career at least five years, right? And then you get to a certain level, you're senior in your career, right? And you can decide after 15 years when you're senior in your career if you want to try the executive path or not, right? But nevertheless, I knew mid-career. I was like, something out of shape because I think I want to really be happy in my senior level roles, right? Because I felt like I was in my early level roles trying to try different things out, which a lot of people do in rotation programs and things like that. But then I felt like I technically had that. I had been a test engineer, I'd have been a quality engineer, I'd been a systems engineer, I'd been a materials and process engineer, I've been a manufacturing engineer, and then I had been a program manager. So I kind of felt like that was enough information to let me know what do I like, what do I not like? Okay, well, one thing I do like, along with understanding my personality type, right? I took the assessments, I've taken the strength finders and the MBTIs. I knew I was, okay, I'm an ENTP. What does that mean for me? Well, that means that at a core, I will I will thrive more if I'm in a more intuitive role where I'm looking at the big picture. I can do the sensing things because I have all these years as an engineer, but I also have the point now where I have all the experience, I don't have to do that. I can go on the other side, right? And sit in what I thrive. And I'm a logical person. Remember, I said I make logical decisions even at a young age, right? Yeah. So if I'm gonna make the logical decision and I'm gonna thrive more in a more intuitive role, and I realize part of being logical is I'm objective, right? So I like to be able to have things black and white simply because I don't like being in the gray. I can be in the gray, cool. That's why I still did well as a program manager, right? That's why I still did well as an engineer because you gotta be in the gray sometimes to test some things out. But I realized the best engineering roles for me was in quality and tests. Why? Because they're black and white and objective. You either pass the test or you don't. Yeah, you either meet the quality requirements or you don't. And that P type, that P and my ENTP, I I was like, that's where the regional part came in. Because when you're a J type, you're fine going to the same site every day, nine to five, six to two, whatever that is. But I don't like that at all. I don't thrive that way. I can do it, but I'm not being my best self. And I can feel it, the people can feel it, right? I'm good, but I could be amazing if y'all let me operate in my naturalness, not even P. So that P was where the regional piece came in. The N and T was that quality piece, right? So, and then the E, that's that management piece. It was time to go into management, functional management, not program management. So that I knew I did the self-assessment, and then here comes the opportunity. I look online and boom, there's an opening for Los Angeles of all places where I'm living. Los Angeles, regional quality quality, supplier quality manager. Oh, that fits the whole ENTP. And I had already done the assessment on myself. There we go. And then I applied. I did two, you know, rounds of the interview. And then I remember the the senior leader called me and said, It's you, honey. Like she said, I knew it was you the moment you dropped some time on my calendar and was like, let's talk about this. Because she said that means you came to me knowing, like, I need to know. Because the first thing I asked, I need to know what's not on this requisition that's important to you. Because if it's important to you that I'm there at 6 a.m. every day, then we might not be a match. Because I can do everything on this requisition, I can do all the things, but I might be upset having to be up at 5 a.m. and pushing, right? Like, tell me the things that's important to you. And she told me, and I was like, those are the things that's important to me too. So we will work well together, right? Because having a good boss is important too. So, so anyway, that takes me to my day-to-day, right? So the E management. I have anywhere between 10 and 20 people that work for me, depending on the time of the day. Today is 11, but you know, it's been the up and down. I love being able to cultivate the talent, right? Part of my day-to-day, checking in on them, making sure they have what they need to be, you know, great. Do you have your trainings up today? Your certifications and quality in the aerospace industry. Everybody needs to know about AS 9100 as a standard, right? In this case, sometimes AS 90102, making sure everybody is good to go on the types of products that we're working on. You know, are we working on space products, defense products? What types of parts are they? Are they the types of parts that maybe require a separate type of certification that other people don't know that our company necessarily does because maybe it's something dealing with the requirements of the drawings, right? And so as long as I make sure my team has what they need to be successful, I'm happy. That's where my E comes in. I like to recognize them. I'll be like, let me nominate you for employee of the quarter, let me give you these points that you can go get some gift cards with. Love that piece. So that helps in my E and my ENTP. My my N, right? My big picture, that's the piece of I love it because out of my region, I'm responsible for Orange County portion of California all the way up to the top of California, which at this point in time is gonna be over 300 suppliers. Wow. Really four. And then I think my counterpart has like two over in San Diego. So that's a lot of aerospace corporations that my 11 people gotta spread across, right? And I still gotta go check in on them, make sure they do. Doing the things, making sure that they're assessing their processes and verifying their products and and you know, making sure that at the end of the day, if there's an issue, they're out there solving it, right? Because quality first, first time quality at the end of the day. And then, like I said, that T of me being logical, great. I can help with policies and procedures all day. You know, I help them with root cause corrective actions when there is a problem. You know, that you guys will know if you're in STEM, you'll learn tools like a fishbone analysis, right? Or decision matrices, the things that will help you to solve problems at the end of the day are five why. Why did that happen? Well, why did that happen? Why did that happen? Why, right? By time to get to the actual root cause and come up with some corrective actions that will solve the issues. And then at the end of the day, my P like being in the region, I love it. Because then I can wake up, coordinate my own schedule. And the way I do it is I don't do it daily. I do it daily, I do it weekly and monthly. So I'm gonna always scan my calendar and align the things. I have to tell people, don't be telling me stuff verbally, put on my calendar or it's not happening, right? And that's how you kind of get your organizational skills up. Still, like even though I'm a P type, still kind of channel a little J, but the P is great for me because I can move things around and move around where I need it, how I need it, right? At the end of the day, I can identify where my, like I said, my issues are, my problem too, my risk, and I can mitigate my risk accordingly by making the right plans, which that's part of the things I learned. All these other program management engineering jobs taught me all the opposite of what I am. So because for years, people were giving me opportunities in my opposite, right? So I didn't feel I wasn't doing my natural. So it would be hard sometimes. Like, oh, like it's not because it's actually hard. I just feel stressed out because I don't want to talk about those things because they're not my natural, right? And it's cool because I learned how to dive deep in data, I learned how to organize project plans with thousands and thousands of lines, you know, I learned how to communicate cross-functionally with multiple different types of technical teams. Cool. But in this case, I love being out here in the region, being the customer to these suppliers, being the champion for my team members, and making sure at the end of the day, when y'all trying to get on this Wi-Fi and these satellites, that y'all can. And when y'all trying to see launches happen in space, y'all can see them, and these astronauts can get back home to their family safely, right? And when y'all want to look at, you know, the military keeping us safe and they gotta be on all these planes and aircraft. Yes, you're welcome. You're safe because me and my team making sure those parts and their engine are everywhere else, is doing what it's supposed to do, right? And your fellow veterans and military friends and family are also getting home to their family safely.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

Well, we should appreciate you because we need all those things. Yes, we do. It's uh I uh it's a lot that you said that was just great, greatness from how you first started out with finding where you fit in your career. I tell this to college students a lot. Those rotational programs, it's the best.

SPEAKER_01 47:11

Many people get out of college, you really don't know till year five, like which you really don't want to make it you don't you have to try multiple things, right? But not too fast. Don't yeah, don't go to a different job every year because psychology proves you don't get the job you're in until a year and a half. It is, it don't matter how good you are, it'll be good in the first month. But what is good? Good might just be, oh, you know, you're not messing things up. It still doesn't mean you're proficient, right? You become proficient or even past intermediate. You're no longer beginner, you're in an intermediate or advanced, you get there a year and a half, and that's a sweet spot. So that's why old school these tell us we have to stay in our roles at least two years. Yeah, now they say differently, but it doesn't, but that's just because I believe it's just because the people that made these rules, now it's their grandkids in the workforce, and they just want to make sure that they have a soft life, which is fine to an extent, yeah, because you really still need people that are capable and know the product, some experts, right? You're not gonna ever become an expert in anything unless you do it for at least a year and a half.

SPEAKER_00 48:20

It just yeah, and you'll know when you that expert, you can feel it, like you're gonna feel the way you talk, the way you present, the way the information flows out, like you'll know you're there. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 48:32

Keep the notebook, honey, write down everything, everything. And when you hear, when you see what good looks like, this is what I would do. I will mimic whoever's like really good. And if they're over here saying, Oh, did you look at quality clause number da da da da da document engineering document, blah blah blah blah? I'm like writing them down, and then I'm looking them up. And the next time I talk to somebody, I'm gonna just repeat the same thing. Okay, well, did you look at quality clause? Yeah, did you, you know, do a first article inspection? And did you do like I'm gonna be you got your PPAP? Like, what is it? Let me see. Because then because now you're learning the industry times and lingo to where somebody else like talks to you, they know, oh, you know what you're talking about because you actually are using you know technical jargon, right? And if you don't do that and you don't write it down and don't like constantly repeat it, it's just like practicing choreography. You gotta do it over and over again, right? So that it's like repetitive, and then you become good at it and it becomes a party of behavior and who you are.

SPEAKER_00 49:35

Yeah. And I love how you touched on like how the generational change within the workforce. So I have, she's kind of like my niece's daughter. I have these conversations with her all the time. She's a nursing student right now. And this is what I want everybody to understand about the workforce, especially now because it's a big transition happening. But I always want people to understand you have to understand every generation. You do. I think a lot of times we get stuck at ours, and that's it. You can't get stuck at yours because you gotta remember when you go in the workplace, you're still working with people from every generation. Yep. And I think people forget that. And that's that's that's not something we need to forget. And this is the first time we have five generations in the yeah, I know we and we both definitely feel all five. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:32

And you're right about I'm in, I'm in the middle with the millennials. We over here, boy. Me too. Woo! Like we hard out here for millennials. I understand, and especially my badge, because we're the first millennials, so we have the pressure of those before us. It's like we told y'all y'all what to do. Like to this day, I still hear them going, oh, those doggone millennials. It's not even us no more, it's the next generation. We're in the middle, and we have to like balance all the generations for us.

SPEAKER_00 51:07

But I want people to understand who's in the workforce, who's getting ready for the workforce. I work with, you know, the babies, so I get to experience so many different generations on the day, and I get so excited.

SPEAKER_01 51:17

Well, for them, them and their little, oh, okay, y'all. All right, I don't want my high school middle to feel like Miss Carr, because they always be like, Miss Carr or Miss Carr. Those babies are something special, and I love it.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

They are about the future, but I want people to understand that like we got to get past our own. And I sit down quite often and and really understand each generation because we all still there. Yeah. And we do have people who are leaving, and then that's why the youth is important to be trained up to go in. Yeah. But for us to really understand and get a good balance in the workforce, we're gonna have to be understanding of everyone's generation. I always say this about culture too, but now it's more about not just culture, it's generations. Understand how we all each think so that the communication is cleared up that we're not one-sided with expectation expectations. So I want people to understand. Correct. Very, very clearly because it's hard out here. So I love that you mentioned that, but we still have to come in with that mindset and understand at the end of the day, there's still a job that has to be done. And there's many different ways to do it, and it's okay for us to listen to everybody's way that's easier said than done, but we have to all be open to everybody's perspective, right? So I'm happy you mentioned that about how like the grandparents' kids are coming in to workforce now because that is happening a lot right now, and just that you got to a place of I like to call it balance, especially as black women, that's like our thing, balance and peace. Yes, that's who we always work to, and and getting to that space of where you have those great time management skills. Yeah. To be able to be like, okay, put it on my calendar. I I wanted to touch on that because I feel like there's a lot of black women in STEM that listen and and and parents who are just working parents trying to figure out how to balance it. Put it, do put it on the calendar, but also I I because I I guess people feel like I'm a mentor to women and STEM as well.

SPEAKER_01 53:32

People feel like it. Living your truth, you are.

SPEAKER_00 53:36

I just be trying to speak for my experiences. But I do have a lot of conversation with women who are trying to find and understand it. And yes, get it on your calendar, but get it on a calendar that works for you. I do like walk-off days where like you're not gonna, you're not gonna find me on these days. And you gotta do it without like feeling sorry about it. Correct. You have to just do it. And even when I do have meeting days, I do them in certain time periods. Like, I want to be able to breathe, I want to be able to wind myself down. So you have to get to that space, and you you'll know how it works for you, but you won't ever get there unless you try. So that's that you have it on your calendar, you tell them to put it on your calendar, um, and I will propose the new time.

SPEAKER_01 54:22

I need to, and I and be very clear. Um, this is not a time, try these days, just because you have to and use that as a tool, right? Use your output, your Gmails, whatever your email calendar is, your software program, use it as a tool for communication. All that let me call you and talk about the calendar, and then oh, I hate when people go, When are you free? So you just test me to go look at my calendar and find slots. Do you about to make me use up five, 10 minutes? No, look at my calendar as far as work is concerned. Look at my calendar and find a slot and drop it on there. Yeah, let me invite what you want for me. But you're not personally, I know you can't see my calendar, and that's fine. But at work, they can see this. And how dare they not press that button and give me a task?

SPEAKER_00 55:13

So it is a skill. That is something I most definitely for sure can have a billion podcast episodes on because I think that's fine.

SPEAKER_01 55:22

I can't wait for my interns to start this summer. I'm like, that's your first lesson. Y'all gotta work these calendars.

SPEAKER_00 55:27

We kind of got into this rhythm. I feel like I'm at a good space where I'm fine, I found my way. It took a long time to find it, but it's just you got to develop those habits, those boundaries, and also delegation, and that people have to consider those things. And a few more questions before we wrap, because I, you know, I can talk to you all day. I could talk to all y'all all day. When we stay on the same page, the stem that I know that I get to have conversations with, and and and people to really just hear y'all's stories because y'all are phenomenal. So I enjoy always talking to each and every one of y'all. And so, you know, you talked about like the impact you're making from the defense lens, from aerospace to with the the space industry, all these things. I love that you mentioned satellites. People don't talk enough about it. I'm sure you hear about it every day, but of course a lot about what goes on with satellites. So I'm happy you you do work around that. But you don't understand, like, to be, and I don't even like to put a year on it because we we look so great, but to be 20 years in the game doing this and working in aerospace, which is booming, by the way, is so much going on with the space industry. And so we just watch greatness happen, but so much more is gonna come behind that. And so to be a black woman in this space, how amazing that is. So, what does it mean to you to show up as a black woman leading in this space?

SPEAKER_01 57:01

It means that I can't drop the ball. I just can't. I can't drop the ball for myself. I can't drop the ball for my ancestors that did all the things they did to get to the point to where I'm able to even do what I do every day. I can't drop the ball for my parents that taught me that excellence is always mandatory. Nothing but 110% at all. If you think 100 is good, nope, get on up there and be better than you are. And I can't drop the ball for everybody that's coming after me because guess what? They might not hire you if I do a horrible job, right? And I want to make sure that anybody that resembles me, because sometimes it's not even about race or gender. You know, I've even had people like, oh, you remind me of somebody dated, or my ex-wife, or somebody that, you know, maybe traumatized their life for whatever reason, right? And offer that little thing, you know, they might treat you differently or might not might, you know, set you up for sabotage without realizing, or they do realize it, either way it goes, you have to fight through those barriers, knock them down, hopefully, before they even try to get built up, right? And you just gotta show up, like I said, 110% to not drop that ball. You know, I remember we had an all-manager meetup last month in Arizona, and I was like, okay, all the managers meeting up, all the senior managers, all the executives in my team. And then I thought about it like, well, my day-to-day, while my team is somewhat diverse and us being a regional team, I'm not like having to sit in a room with people on a regular basis to where I'm obviously looking at the demographics, which is good for high spirit. But here's the other thing that I explain to my interns. I said I also like to create the experience I like at work. So I also volunteer for a lot of like community activities through my job. Yeah. In the competent community, because I know what competence don't give, right? Or for the HBCUs, because I know what HBCUs is gonna give, right? I sit on the team for Southern University with recruitment to my job. So those activities allow me to not feel like I'm the only anything, right? Because I'm kind of diversifying my day to day or my week to week, right? So that being said, at that all manager meeting, I thought about it when I was packing my bags to leave. Like, oh, you're about to spend two days nonstop with all these folks, and no, nobody like says nobody, and you're not used to that because you used to coordinate your own schedule, but you gotta like go and do your thing, yeah. So immediately I was like, all right, well, it starts off eight. We're gonna be together at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. I was like, I guess I'm gonna have to be up in that room at 6 a.m. Because I just refuse for anything random to happen, yeah. Because I've been in situations where random things have happened, and I just refuse. Like, badge don't work now. You gotta find the badge office in the parking, gotta walk 20 minutes, whatever. You think you find it in five minutes before you gotta run to the bathroom and up? No, I want nothing foolish happening. So I'm gonna just in the conference room two hours early, working from there, and then an hour after that. The next person in the door, which I thought was funny, was you know, the other woman uh on the team with me on my level. She's not black, but she's a woman. So I was like, Oh, sis, probably thought the same thing to me. Let me just get there early. Yeah. So that because you don't want people to associate a thing with you and whatever you are, as far as what you represent. And if they are, you'd rather it be good. And at this point in time, I realized, like, now I think that's been a thing. People notice that I get there early, and I'm glad. Like, but and that that was that used to not be the case on how young he is. But as a manager, as a role model, as somebody that I need to keep this position so I can give other other people, like me, opportunities and jobs, or at least be able to nominate them and have a little weight behind my name. I gotta do it for all of us. So I just gotta show like 110%, and I cannot drop a ball.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:33

Yeah, I'm happy you said that. That's that pressure that comes as we have black women and leading. We we feel that and we don't talk enough about it. So it's I'm happy you said that because I used to tell people I always started off as the only black woman, but I can guarantee you many black women came behind me. And we we we do it for our community to have to show that, hey, look, we're we belong here too. And and I also think like you know, what what off of what you said, like we have to change our mindset and kind of get out of showing thinking and feeling like we're the only and transitioning into who we are, exactly showing up as ourselves in the room and just be good and confident in just that.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:18

Because I I have so many conversations, so many for many people from different walks of life, and you don't understand how much you can have in common with some people if you just go in here and be yourself. Oh, I love my boss, love, love, love my boss, best boss ever. He's a white man, yeah, he is my person. I roll to him, I told him I'll follow you anywhere. If you lead his team, take me with you. Like at the end of the day, and I mean it because yeah, sometimes it's not about along the way.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:52

I I wouldn't be where I am without many of my allies. So I want people to start understanding that. Like, that's what kind of kept me and helped me back at the beginning of my career, thinking about the fact that I was the only, the only, yeah, and that pressure. And then when I got to senior level, like sitting here on C-suite with my my boss and them, and they they made me understand they actually hired me to hear what I had to say. So it took me forever to just get that in my head, yeah. That I was actually hired to just have somebody value my voice, and that's when I learned I have to shift my mindset. So start showing up as you, stop worrying about all the other stuff. You have to be really clear in who we are as a person and have that confidence, and you have that confidence, Kia. You both definitely have it. So I want to say kudos on that, because that is a beautiful light to have. So just have the confidence in who you are. Like, I know for me, I could be like nerdy, I could be like weird, I could be cool, I could be a whole bunch of people. And when all those personalities come out, I accept each and every every single one of them because it's all me, honey. And people just need to do that when they're walking in the room. So it's good to hear you say that pressure, because we feel that pressure, that pressure, black women carry that every day in these worlds we're carrying the community. I know for me, the community on my shoulders, and and more opportunity for our people on our shoulders. So that's that's all great. So, my my last question to you is what advice would you give young students who are thinking about going to an HBCU or because I've heard a lot of young students this week talk about they wanted to do aerospace engineering, which I thought was beautiful, or they're thinking about going into aerospace engineering. So you can touch on both or one or the other, but what advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:57

So if you want to go to an HBCU, are you thinking about it? Don't even think about it, just do it. Like get out your thoughts, just do it, apply to the top five or ten that you like that you've either visited, or you went to their Instagram page or their YouTube links, because a lot of them have recruitment videos on YouTube, and then pick them and apply. And don't just apply to the school, also apply to the scholarships to the school that you think the department that you think you might want to major in, and then apply to their honors programs. And all of them probably have a STEM scholarship within their STEM organization, apply to that too. And then I promise you, you're gonna be so thankful because that's gonna be threefold scholarships. It's probably gonna be full rise, right? And then on top of that, if you're interested in aerospace, look at some of the top schools that have aerospace engineering. I think the only HBCU right now is Tuskegee. Which Tuskie is Tuskkee?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

But here's definitely Texas Southern.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:02

But here's the other gag. You don't have to be major in aerospace engineering to be an aerospace engineer. I mean, I'm I'm proofing the pudding. I told y'all that I've been in aerospace this whole time and in all these engineering positions. And not just working on Rudy Boothines. I worked on radar systems, you know, I've worked on propulsion subsystems. I honey. And I'm again my degree is in physics. So don't be afraid to go to the HBCU of choice because you feel that that is where your spirit and your vibe is meant to be. And then major in any type of STEM. Because as long as you have a STEM degree, you can apply to be any type of aerospace engineer. And like I told you, I represent hundreds of aerospace companies here. So you could really work at any of them. Don't feel like you just got to work at the big name. The big name ones are cute. But if you got to do like me and kind of start off at the not so big name ones, the ones that make things for the big name ones, we call them OEMs, right? So if you make make stuff for the OEMs, you can apply there. You might have a better opportunity because maybe it's not so much competition, right? Especially if it's an aerospace place that maybe it's something that's that's specific to you of interest. Like maybe you like NDT, non-destructive testing. Maybe you like, you know, machining or machine shop capabilities. Maybe you like, you know, anything dealing with steel. Maybe you like, you know, valves because you work on automobiles at home just for fun, but you still want to do aerospace. Okay, you can do valves for aerospace, right? You don't necessarily have to do valves for an automotive, right? And so look for those type of companies too. Some of them are in these career fairs, right? Can they still show up and they might have a smaller line or a smaller table, but try there too. Go to their hospitality suites as well, as well as the OEMs in a big company and see what it is because you can do that, do your internships in aerospace, major in the physics or mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or whatever, computer science, and then still end up getting an aerospace engineering job when you graduate and being in that field. And then there's so many jobs in aerospace. Like it's crazy. From you know, the person doing search in the lab to all the way up to, you know, tech fellows that that's their whole job is to go around solving problems around the world. And a lot of these aerospace companies are all around the world. So some people, especially where I work, I hear people all the time, like, oh, I'm gonna go do a stint in Dubai for like three months, or oh, I'm gonna go, you know, work in the UK for however long. My employee is flying back tomorrow. I have him on assignment in Australia right now. And I have and he's been to Israel, he's been to all sorts of places just working on for me on my team, right? And we're right here in LA, right? So you don't necessarily also have to be at a certain site or a certain area to be able to experience all the different types of opportunities there are within aerospace. So don't limit yourself. At the end of the day, is what I'm saying. Go to the school you want to, the one that's that's gonna work your your vibe, the one that's gonna have good partnerships with corporations, and you can major in still and make your own path. Just make sure you're doing the right things, keeping your grades up, getting experiences to add to the resumes, and getting your mentors up. You shouldn't have one or two, you should have like 10. And be on top of it. I could tell you when I go and recruit at Southern or I go host engagement sessions, them kids be there. They'll allow me wrapped to talk to Miss Kia. And then they can be like Miss Kia, Miss Kia, Miss Kia. After they be linking in, they be texting, they be, and that's sweet. Even on my birthday, a few weeks ago, I got like some text, like, oh hi, birthday, Miss Kia. I'm like, look at y'all. That's so sweet, you know. And so, but it's important because guess what? The moment another manager comes to me and says, I need a body, I'm like, I already know who to say, and then I can actually be helping y'all to get opportunities and getting these experiences, right? And it's such a blessing because even when I have a bad day, my husband will tell me, ma'am, you can't have a bad day because you yourself have put hundreds of thousands of dollars back in a black community, or the people you've gotten jobs, and I'll be like, You're right, babe. So I gotta stand proud and feel blessed and feel happy. And I can't play those games and be woe as me over anything because I'm so blessed, first off, and second off, I gotta sit in my energy that's great to make sure paving the way to pay it forward for the next person. And and I'm telling you, it feels good every time, and I love it, and I'm so thankful. That's why I can't. I'm excited for my interns that's about to start because I really want to get them these jobs and I'm about to give them all the experiences, you know. But I said to say, get y'all some more Miss Carras, Miss Kids, and yeah, you know, it's right. Look at me, I ain't doing it. Yeah, so that way you can you can get go to the HBC your choice. Now, I'm gonna always tell y'all Sunday University all day, because we got the best man in the land, we got the best dancing dog, we got the best food in the calf with our fried chicken red bean Monday. We got our best like transfer here, he's everything. He's gonna make sure you're straight, you know. The honors college on point with Dean Mackey. So I'm gonna plug it, you know. But any of our schools are gonna be great because the HBCU is where it's at at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:33

Yeah, we all family at the end of the day. I mean, we rep by schools hard, but at the end of the day, we all family. It's all of it. Beautifully said, a lot of gems dropped. I know your interns are gonna be just excited to work with you. Yeah, and and for our college students who's listening, or even our parents that's trying to get back in the industry and have different degrees, there's opportunity for you to cross over into this field. Yeah, and so it's always kids, always so great to talk to you and see you. I need to get to LA for sure. I need to get back on my West Coast. You know, they always when you coming back to Los Angeles, and I most definitely need to get back that way. I love LA, I love the love the vibe.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:12

So you should come in July. So last year I started working with this nonprofit in Compton that helps teach kids as young as eight how to get their parlor's license, right? And so they have every July a fashion couture STEM camp where they get to use their like STEM capabilities and space materials to basically come up with a fashion outfit and do a fashion show. Really cute, right? But you should come for that because then that could be real cute to have black girls do. Well, New York's already go for July.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:47

So look, we I'm gonna we're gonna have to talk see when I can get back the way people keep asking me to come back because we said I'm near Los Angeles, and so Most can you need to come back, Miss Divide, miss the people. So there's a lot of opportunity there, and I'm so grateful for you being on the podcast today. Thank you for you inviting me. Oh, I love to honor everyone. Like, I love having these moments where you can come and share your story, and for our listeners, hopefully you are taking notes because a lot of information was shared today, and you'll be able to hopefully put those things to work for yourself and have some great outcomes. And so that's the point of these discussions that we're having. Yes. So let me say this one more time: don't sleep on HBCUs. What we're seeing is not potential, is results. Kia Journey shows us what happens when strong preparation meets opportunity, confidence, leadership, and real impact. And for every student listening, especially those considering their path, understand this. Where you learn matters. How you prepare matters, and what you do with it matters even more. Thank you, Kia, for representing excellence and showing us what leadership looks like at a high level. And thank you for listening to Black Girls Do Engineer podcast, where we build confidence, community, and futures in STEM. I'll see you in the next episode. To learn more about Black Girls Do Engineer, you can visit us at Blackgirlsdoengineer.org or email us directly at infoblackgirlsdoengineer.org.