Scottie Beth Fleming...
About Me:
My name is Scottie-Beth Fleming and I am currently a junior at Georgia Institute
of Technology majoring in Aerospace Engineering. I started my second of five
co-op tours this summer in the Image Science and Analysis division. I really
enjoy the differences between Atlanta and Houston, and always look forward to
rotating out semesters. For fun I like to lay around the house and be lazy, as
well as going to the library for a good all-nighter (that's a joke). But, seriously, I enjoy going to the beach, spending time with my family and friends, as well as traveling (I have been able to study abroad and traveled to 7 countries the semester before I started co-oping). I am also a member of Phi Mu Fraternity.
Working for NASA has always been a personal goal of mine. I attended Space Camp for 3 years, and then Aviation Challenge for a year after that. Space, flight, and the intricacies of aerospace itself has always intrigued me, and I am amazed at the work I have had a hand in through co-oping at NASA.
My Work:
During my first tour, fall 2005, I worked in the Energy Systems Division, Power
Systems Branch (EP5). In EP5 I was able to plan as well as perform several tests.
The majority of my work was on the performance of coin cell batteries, and, although
this did not pertain to my degree choice, I found this division to be very informative
on testing procedures as well as a great introduction to the engineering processes.
This summer, as I stated previously, I am working in the Human Exploration Science Office with the Image Science and Analysis group (KX). This tour I find to be particularly interesting because I have gotten hands on experience with a launch and actions that are pertinent to the success of the launch. In this group the main operation is to scan the space shuttle's tiles for any type of damage that may have occurred during liftoff or by micrometeorites.
Moving to Texas:
A big thing for me when I moved here was how far away Texas seemed from my
school and home. I live in Kentucky, and go to school in Georgia- only a 4
hour drive away- so packing up my life and going 16 hours away from my family
and friends was a big step for me. I had to learn how to take care of myself
without my parents constantly nagging me, how to pay for bills, to set up an
apartment, etc. In the end, I would say that it's a great experience. The friends I have in Texas are friends that I know I will have for my whole life.
Social Life:
Life outside of work is so much more fun than life outside of school. Here, you
don't bring your stress home (unless your project is due the next day) so you're free to relax and go out on a nightly basis. Because we are still college students and relatively poor, the co-ops tend to stick to easy, cheap things to participate in such as the dog tracks, intramural sports, movies, etc. Of course, you do have the fun packed (no studying) weekend trips to the Guadeloupe River, Austin, College Station, San Antonio, Dallas, and Galveston. We also have great a great opportunity to earn a scuba diving license for cheap, as well as a great location for sky diving close by.
If you would like to contact me, my school email is efleming@gatech.edu and my work email is Elizabeth.s.fleming@jsc.nasa.gov. I love talking about my NASA Co-op experience, so please feel free to email!
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