Andrew Meyer
Andrew Meyer
40 Under Forty – 2024 Honoree
Senior Continuous Improvement Specialist
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
I would tell my younger self that the ending isn’t any more important than the events that lead to it. Make goals, yes, but achieve them in a way that still allows you to experience life. Time moves forward and some things you don’t get a chance to experience again.
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Who do you count as your greatest mentor(s) that have helped you succeed in your personal and professional life?
For my personal life, this has to be my Mom. After my Dad died of Leukemia when I was 2 years old, it took a heroic amount of resilience for her to stay strong and continue to be a mother to my brother and I. Throughout my childhood she taught me that hard, consistent work and confidence that I can pull it off is the key to success. I certainly wouldn’t be who I am today without her.
Professionally, when I first started my career over at NASA JPL, I was fortunate to sit near two wonderful women named Sarah and Lorraine. I had a difficult time breaking into the job there initially, and often struggled with having enough work to make it even halfway through the day. But Sarah and Lorraine would see me sitting there and would find something, anything, for me to do. Oftentimes this was shadowing others doing random things, other times it was introducing me to new people, training me on processes and systems, or just having a fun conversation. I am confident that without them, I would not have gained the skills or recognition to have advanced in the way I did, both at JPL and afterward. They taught me that success isn’t something you can achieve on your own, and once you find success, it is your duty to pay it forward and help others along that path.
Where do you see yourself and what will you be doing with your life after 40?
I still have a while until 40, next year I’ll face the existential dread of 30 and go from there. In all seriousness, I want to continue to carve my niche in the world of spacecraft operations and manufacturing. I want to solve challenges in unique and creative ways and grow in my organization. I also want to make sure that I’m paying it forward, and helping those younger than me learn what they need to in order to grow themselves.
Personally, my kids will both be in high school by the time I’m 40, so I’ll take that opportunity to do some traveling and get involved with volunteer organizations. In my free time I also do video game development, maybe by then my first game will be complete!
View the 2024 – 40 Under Forty honorees.
Visit the 40 Under Forty website.
