On Monday amidst the fun and hubbub of Emma’s birthday, I also celebrated another milestone — 20 years of working for NASA! Twenty years as a federal employee. Twenty years as a civil servant.
My first day at the Johnson Space Center was August 18, 1997. I was a 19-year-old rising college sophomore eager to start my first tour as a cooperative education student. And I know, I know — 1997 is 21 years ago, but the government has a complicated way of counting employment time, and my early years of alternating work tours with college semesters means that my “adjusted” start date will forever be out-of-sync with my actual start date.
Since transitioning from student to full-time employee in 2002, I’ve worked four different jobs in two different organizations. I’m on my 4th Presidential administration. My 15th Congress. My 5th NASA administrator.
It is an odd thing to be a government employee these days, when “government” often feels like a dirty word. But there is so, so much of the United States government that operates outside of the political maneuvering in the White House and the Capitol, and beyond whatever partisan sound bites make the daily news.
Career civil servants like me show up at our jobs day in and day out and do what we can to keep the country’s many programs and projects running. To keep the space station flying. To keep our coworkers in space safe. To make sure the next spacecraft gets built. To keep us in the game, so to speak.
Administrations and Congresses change, and they do sway our direction, and they can affect our work in both good ways and bad. But ultimately I don’t work for them. I work for the United States. For anyone big or small, black or white, old or young, who may now be or may want to eventually become an American.
I don’t get too sappy about this kind of thing very often, but if there’s ever a time to reflect on my role as both a citizen and employee of this country, 20 years seems like a good time to do just that. And sure, some days — most days — it’s just a job.
But some days, like today, it’s nice to let it feel a little bigger.
Congratulations! What an awesome milestone!
Thanks!