Lauren Johnson...

WELCOME TO A WORLD LIKE NO OTHER!!!

Ok, not really; I needed something to catch your attention. Now that you're here lets get started...

Background Information...

Name: Lauren Marie Johnson

Age: 20

Hometown: Born in Los Angeles, CA and raised in the "Windy City " - Chicago, IL

University: Jackson State University (Jackson, MS)

Major: Business Administration

Classification: Junior

Graduation Date: May 2006 (Hopefully)

My journey to NASA . . .

Now that you know who I am I will tell you the story of how I got here. It was a dreary afternoon when I got a call from a dynamic woman, Mrs. Lori Swanier from Jackson State University . Mrs. Swanier has been known to direct students in the right direction when they ' re lost and ultimately aid them in securing full time employment upon graduation, yes this is her job but she does it like no other. Now, Mrs. Swanier encouraged me to attend a career fair that NASA was holding at TSU in Houston , TX . I must admit the whole trip sounded like a waist of time to me, I mean NASA only hires Scientists right? Wrong!!

After attending the 2 day career fair I learned that NASA offers many opportunities for Business students, far more than I'd imagined. As the my trip here came to an end I was blessed to receive an interview from Anne Roemer, the business Co-op coordinator and later a phone call notifying me that I'd been accepted into the Co-op program. I was ecstatic and six months later I began my journey as a NASA employee.

Now That I'm here . . .

My first tour or rotation began in August of '04 in the Institutional Procurement Office. Ok, I'll stop right there . . . what is procurement? Procurement is the art of researching products, technical specifications, legal issues etc., and eventually awarding contracts and buying stuff. My position for the Fall of '04 was as a Contract Specialist and my responsibilities were to purchase software, hardware, and other items for IT (Information Technology) and IS (Information Systems) at JSC. My job involved paperwork (sometimes more than others), attention to detail, meeting deadlines, interacting with contractors and vendors all over the U.S.(fun), awarding contracts and the opportunity to see them through completion. Institutional Procurement offers a well paced work environment with friendly employees and challenging situations that allow you to use both critical and creative thinking skills. If monotony and repletion are not for you then come to Procurement where every day presents a new challenge. To say the least it was off the chain!! I loved Procurement and I can ' t wait to get back there, I learned so much not only about Procurement but about NASA as a whole.

Life as a Coop . . .

FUN, FUN, FUN, . . . yes, more FUN!! The NASA Co-op life is thriving and full of exciting opportunities to meet new people and see new things. I met people my first day on site and the list grew from there. Camping, skydiving, scuba diving, white water rafting, road tripping, clubbing, rock climbing, just a few of the things Co-ops did this semester. Avenues for a social life are endless, chances are if there ' s something you want to do you will have someone who wants to come along and if you can ' t think of anything someone will devise a plan, it's a beautiful life. It's almost like you're getting paid to meet new people, attend tours and lectures from some of NASA ' s best, and in the process learn more about yourself, your job, and the real world. Trust me, you ' ll be so busy you won ' t have time to get homesick.

Recommendations for Future Co-ops . . .

• If you take classes, like I did, you will be mad busy the whole semester. This fall I took 6 hours at U of H Clear Lake (sponsored by NASA) and though 6 hours are nothing compared to 18-20 hours I usually take at school I was so busy. Between working full time and maintaining a social life I had to effectively prioritize in order to complete my school work successfully and maintain my sanity . . . very, very, difficult. If you decide to take classes I would recommend only taking 3 hours even if you aren't very social it still challenging working full time and going to school.
  
• NASA doesn't provide housing but you are well compensated for the inconvenience however, I recommend finding a good roommate so that you can save money and avoid the hassle of securing temporary housing. Plus, leaving a roommates house is much easier than moving out of an apartment, canceling utilities, moving furniture etc.

Questions/Comments . . .

If you want to know anything feel free to write me anytime . . .

ljohnson425@yahoo.com

I really hope you consider applying to be a Co-op it ' s exciting and also a great learning experience.

Thank you for stopping by!