Living the dream at NASA
Mario Nirman Mondal and Eric Nixon Mondal have been working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since they completed their undergraduate education. Mario works as a Satellite Flight Engineer at NASA's Maryland center which specialises in Earth Observing Satellites (EOS).Following in his brother's footsteps, Eric has recently joined as a Configuration Manager for NASA's newest venture on laser technology.
The two brothers talked about their incredible journey so far. "I wanted to study Aeronautical Engineering since I was in school. I still remember how I used to read different journal articles on aerospace from a young age,"said Mario. "When I got into BUET, I chose Mechanical Engineering as my major but eventually transferred toUniversity of Maryland, USA. During my final year there, I was chosen to work on a universityproject for NASA, and upon graduating, I applied to work there. I was quite lucky to be able to bag my dream job as a fresh graduate."
On the same note, Eric shared how his journey has been different from that of his brother's. "Unlike Mario, I wasn't a career-oriented person. I changed five jobs in the past three years," he said. "I completed my undergraduate degree in Microbiology but I wasn't sure if I was employable at NASA. When Mario informed me about this new project, I applied and was called in. The rest is history."
Mario completed his master's degree while maintaining his job at NASA and Eric is currently pursuing his master's. Thanks to NASA's flexible working hours and accommodating workloads during their classes and exam seasons, pursuing further education has been possible for them.
As a message to the youth, Eric said, "If you are to aim, always aim at the sky. It gives you the courage to spread your wings and fly." Supplementing his brother's thoughts, Mario added, "I believe today's youth needs to be more proactive than reactive. They will prosper if they learn to work hard."
Mario plans to keep working for NASA and pursue a PhD soon. Eric has signed an eight-year project with NASA, and plans to pursue a PhD soon after completing his master's.