U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the opening session of the Forum on Modernizing Government, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs, deputy secretaries, including NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and department chief information officers to the forum. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the opening session of the Forum on Modernizing Government, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs, deputy secretaries, including NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and department chief information officers to the forum. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the opening session of the Forum on Modernizing Government, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs, deputy secretaries, including NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and department chief information officers to the forum. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the opening session of the Forum on Modernizing Government, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs, deputy secretaries, including NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and department chief information officers to the forum. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, left, talks with Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller prior to the start of the White House Forum on Modernizing Government held Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 at the Old Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs to the White House Forum on Modernizing Government. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Portrait of Robin "Rob" Lee of the Office of Diversity & Equal Opp. Branch, in front of NASA Langley's "Meatball." The portrait was done for Thalia Patrinos at NASA Headquarters as part of "Faces of NASA" project.   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were mandated by Governor Northam in Virginia in public settings.  "Well, little did I know, even at a young age, he instilled in me the importance of seeing people for people. And being able to help people and being able to meet them in their time of need. And that carried me throughout my entire life. Even still today.” — Robin Lee, Director of Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Langley Research Center

S66-41852 (1966) --- Spacecraft 012 looking toward -Y axis during installation of heat shield. Note uprighting system compressor in aft bay, at right, and Reaction Control System (RCS) valve module panel, center of photo.

S66-41851 (1966) --- High angle view of Spacecraft 012 Command Module, looking toward -Z axis, during preparation for installation of the crew compartment heat shield, showing mechanics working on aft bay.

“Discipline is one of the things that they instill with you [in the military.] All the way starting in boot camp, [the goal] is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. Integrity. Whenever you're in boot camp, they always say, ‘it's too easy.’ It's just too easy to follow the rules, read the book, read the regulations, and that's probably why I enjoy contracting. I like reading the regulations and following the regulations. …[Now that I work for Safety and Mission Assurance,] it's really cool to read everything about the different types of the scenarios. I always get to see the task orders and the type of work that is going on to keep people safe on the ground and in the air.” NASA Contract Specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Miranda Meyer, poses for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 at GSFC in Greenbelt, Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Thalia Patrinos)

"I still can't get over the fact that I actually work at NASA. If you had told the little girl years ago who was watching the shuttle launches from our family room in Uganda, I could never believe it would be possible. "It’s been such a great journey because the rejection along the way instilled in me the humility and determination I needed to work harder and believe in myself. I learned that if I believed in myself and not take it personally, great things will come my way. I’ve worked with people who felt comfortable teaching me new things and letting me explore. Legacy is really important to me. Many who came before gave me the opportunity to have a seat at the table. Now that I am here, I want to ensure I do my best so others can get access to more opportunities and those at the table can see past their differences, and are not looked at as just a woman, or as a woman of color, but as a person who actually knows what they’re talking about." Tabisa Taliwaku Kalisa, Communications Manager in the Office of Procurement at NASA Headquarters, poses for a portrait, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

“My mother always instilled and made me appreciate the value of hard work and education. That was my pillar. We are a large family. I have family in Peru, still. I have family members in Europe, in Mexico, and across the U.S. They all face challenges every day, and that motivates me to keep moving forward. The military was no exception. It’s a challenging career. I’ve participated in war environments and peacekeeping operations. When I retired from the military, I took the uniform off one day and put on civilian clothes the next day and went on to work for the Department of Defense. I progressed in my public service career and went on to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Then, I finally came to NASA. I have always admired NASA. I remember since 1968, hearing about all the missions and projects and accomplishments. The reputation that NASA has! I researched how logistics work for NASA’s missions. That’s why I prepared myself. The military provided me a strong logistics background. I got a Master degree in Public Administration because my goal was to end up working for NASA. And I did so, on my second attempt. I started working for NASA’s Logistics Management Division, and served as Deputy Director. Working at NASA is something very special. I find myself surrounded by a group of professional individuals, working in a complete camaraderie environment. Yes, it has been a challenge, to get to work for NASA. But it’s worth it, every single day.” NASA Program Executive Manager for the Office of Insfrastructure, Miguel Angel Rodriguez Maco, poses for a portrait outside NASA Headquarters in Washington DC, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

"Where I grew up [on my family farm] 100% shaped who I am. In fact, my son and I were talking about high schools and how big his is. His high school population is double the population of the town I grew up in. I had 20 kids in my graduating class, and three of them were foreign exchange students. He asked me, 'Do you wish you would have gone to a bigger school like us?' And I said, 'Actually, no, I don't.' I loved where I grew up. I absolutely cherish what it instilled in me, and that's something I carry with me all the time. "The earliest lesson was that you are part of something much bigger than yourself. Everybody has an important role in what they're doing, no matter how small. I remember when we were bringing in the corn. Right now, everybody buys it, but I didn't buy corn until maybe college because it was a whole family thing. We went and picked the corn. The little kids would shuck it, pulling off all the silk. The grown-ups would shave it off the cob and then push it off to the side, and then the older kids would bag it up into plastic bags. And then everybody went home. It was always about a team. You can be the youngest person or the lowest-ranking person, but you always bring something important to that table. "Everywhere I've been since I got commissioned [as an Air Force officer], my very first office in 1997, I hang an aerial picture of our farm on my wall because it's [a reminder to] remember where you came from, remember home, and don't get too big for your britches. No matter what, you could be part of something huge, and I look at that picture and say, 'I have always been part of something much bigger than myself.' All the little, tiny moments in life that build upon themselves trace back to that family farm for me." Alana Johnson, Senior Communications Specialist, poses for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)