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\u201cI would say family and part of that \u2018first-gen experience\u2019 [shaped me]. Being born in the U.S. gave me a lot of opportunities that my family and parents were robbed of because of situations in their home country.\u00a0It shaped me to be a hard worker and to aspire to large things because not only\u00a0was it my goal at this point, but it was also my parents\u2019 aspiration.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI feel that a lot of their pride comes from their kids. That pushes me to be a better employee or to want to do better for myself because I know that they\u2019ve made a lot of sacrifices for me while I was building up to becoming an engineer. Now that I\u2019ve accomplished my goal, it\u2019s very important for me to always thank them and be a grateful person.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCulture also shaped me. Coming from a minority background, and I\u2019m only familiar with the Hispanic culture, it was an education-first mindset\u2026and very supportive. I think that\u2019s important. When I do outreach, I always like to share my experiences because sometimes, people don\u2019t realize how much impact they can have, like the teacher who told me about [a NASA] internship. She didn\u2019t know that was going to be my career. Or, my mom staying up with me\u00a0during late night study sessions\u00a0when I was like, \u2018I can\u2019t be an engineer\u2019 and failed a test and she was like, \u2018No, you can do it. I believe in you.\u2019<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt might not be memorable for the person who [says it], but it was super important for my motivation to keep going. So, [online, I am that voice for] first-gen motivation.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Zaida Hernandez, Engineer, Lunar Architecture Team, NASA Johnson Space Center<\/p>\n