Valerie Connaughton, Program Scientist at the Headquarters of the NASA

 Valerie Connaughton

 La Châtaigneraie, 1985

 Program Scientist at the Headquarters of the NASA

 USA

 Learn more about me :

•  Website

I split my time between Washington, DC, where I work as a program scientist at the Headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and my "real" home. Until 2020, the real home was in Huntsville, Alabama where I spent my research career at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The pandemic spurred a desire to go home to Tucson, Arizona, where my husband and I met in graduate school, a plan that became realistic with the increased acceptance and efficiency of teleworking.

My favorite memory of Ecolint are the "frites" in a paper cone from the cafeteria, sleepovers at my friend Linda Lank's apartment, and the variety of nationalities among my friends, which I took for granted at the time and only later recognized as special.

Exposure to the wide variety of nationalities and cultures at Ecolint made navigating new places and situations less daunting. A changing cast of classmates and teachers from diverse backgrounds also allowed me to accept different ways of reaching goals as equally valid, rather than needing to hew to a standard line.

If I could do it all over again I would be less self-conscious and take advantage of more opportunities at school. A lot of my appreciation for the diversity of Ecolint life happened from a safe distance, as it was also quite intimidating for this only child.
 

My words of wisdom for Ecolint students: take advantage of all the opportunities to participate in a range of activities, particularly those allowing you to get to know your classmates beyond your immediate circle of friends. If you want to pursue a career in science, don't fret too much about choosing a specific major or college, but make sure you don't shy away from advanced math classes. Oh, and mix with local Swiss people outside the bubble that Ecolint provides. Geneva offers so much as a home city, so don't take it for granted.