Maria Revlett

I was born in Chiclayo, a small town in Peru. Now, I work at NASA as a Program Analyst for the Launch Services Program (LSP). My road to NASA has not been easy, but it has been full of determination and will power.

My mother did not have a college degree. My father grew up in a very small town in Peru with no running water or electricity and one elementary school for the whole town. Growing up he would love to tell my siblings and I the hardships he had to endure by working since he was five years old while also attending school. As he grew older, he even had to move to a different city, where he lived with a relative, in order to continue his education. He earned an engineering degree and started his own business thereafter. My father has been the source of motivation and determination in my life; he taught me the importance of education, sacrifice, and hard work.

In high school, I really developed a love for mathematics but decided to pursue a degree of Business Administration since my father wanted me to continue on the family business. My family life was complicated and the environment in which I spent my childhood years was even worse. Like many other Peruvians, my family and I had to endure years of terror threats from terrorist groups and keep ourselves safe while trying to go to school or work. All those years of sacrifice and living in fear built character and determination in me that I would later use to accomplish my goals.

I was admitted to the “Universidad del Pacifico” in Lima, where I obtained my Business degree. As a young adult, I pushed myself to always participate in activities that took me out of my comfort zone in hopes to overcome my own personal challenges and introversion. I graduated with Honors and started working at an market research firm as an intern. It was then when I decided, with my parent’s support, to travel to the United States, learn English, and continue my education.

I left Lima, my family, and everything I had known and traveled to Boston where I learned English at Boston University and later obtained a graduate certificate in Special Studies in Business from the Harvard University Extension School. Having the opportunity to study in Boston was an experience that I will never forget.

I married in 2000 and moved to Austin, Texas, where I worked with an all-male engineering team to develop an industry leading sales application; all while taking care of my daughter. My team and I survived the dot-com aftermath but eventually our jobs were outsourced and the company I worked for closed our Austin office.

After, while pregnant with my second child, I decided to look for new opportunities and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) had several openings in the office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). I joined NASA and began work in the office of the CFO as a Program Analyst in 2006. When I was a little girl I dreamed about being an astronaut like many other children; I never thought it would be possible to one day work at KSC, the place my family and I visited frequently when I was young.

My desire to continue to grow as a person and as a leader motivated me to apply and be selected for the NASA Mid-Level Leadership Program in 2012. While in this program, I completed an eight month detail supporting the KSC Deputy Director and Associate Director. I worked with KSC’s management while adjusting to a remarriage, lots of family challenges, and four children. During this internship I learned much about KSC and NASA. This opportunity allowed me see how senior leaders solve problems, deal with conflict resolution, and care for their people simultaneously. This Program really helped me further develop my leadership skills as well as look inside myself and become a better person. I was blessed to have so many opportunities for growth at the personal and professional level.

In 2013, I started working in the Launch Services Program (LSP) as the LSP Information Manager. Initially this position was challenging but I am happy to have had the opportunity to continue learning new things and greatly expand my skillsets.

Taking a step back and looking at my life, I see a person who had many obstacles to overcome. In time, I was able to transform those obstacles into opportunities. Growing up in a third world country was not easy. I moved to the United States, learned a new language, found my way, and became successful.

I am most passionate about my work and being a good teammate; all while making a difference in my community. I am involved in many other activities outside of work; I absolutely love to inspire the younger generation and help them understand that there are no limits to what they can do. I constantly remind them that they can achieve anything they put their hearts into. Working for NASA and contributing to the United States of America’s Space Program is an unbelievable experience. Taking advantage of my ability to participate in outreach opportunities for NASA, I am able to speak with the community and inspire children to make their dreams come true. I sincerely hope my story can inspire others, especially young girls, to never give up on their dreams and work hard for what they want to accomplish in life.