SHPE - Spring08 - (Page 35)

Office of Knowledge Management, a relatively new concept to the Navy taken from private industry. “We teach the enlisted how to do load calculations, lay out power distribution, repair and maintain heavy construction and automotive equipment, and carry out surveying, HVAC and steel working – everything they need to know,” he said. “When they come back from deployment, they debrief us on how they used that training and where we can improve. We use that information to modify our training.” In the role of Navy recruiter, Flores takes delight in matching qualified Hispanic candidates with employment opportunities. “His education and experiences give him credibility when talking with students,” said Pete Tafoya, a longtime colleague who has worked with Flores in these efforts. “On many occasions he has taken quite a bit of his own time to show students around the center, trying to get them excited about the work that we do so that they apply and potentially choose the Navy as an ultimate employer.” He also has remained an active member of the Ventura County SHPE Professional Chapter. “He’s making a difference in the community, especially for those whose parents never finished high school or went to college,” said Simon Mejia, a fellow SHPE-VC member who once shared the presidency with Flores. “There are many students within our community that need some guidance and support. He’s the type of person that goes out of his way to help them pursue college education.” Off the Port Hueneme base, Flores has coached the softball, baseball and basketball teams of his daughter and two sons as well as those for children living in La Colonia, a low socioeconomic area in Ventura County. He teaches introductory engineering courses at Oxnard College and remains active with MESA, serving as a member of its industry advisory board for 20 years and even making it the subject of his doctorate dissertation. Flores says he finds such community involvement rewarding because it helps him fulfill his responsibility to help other Hispanics climb the socioeconomic ladder. Most recently, he ran into two of his former students who had finished their associate’s degrees, transferred and earned their bachelor’s degrees in engineering. “Seeing two students, from separate years and separate classes, go through the pipeline is way more satisfying than anything else I could have done.” Throughout his life, Flores admits that fear of failure has kept him motivated. “I was the first in my family at almost everything I did,” he said. “I was the first to finish college, the first to have a career, the first to be married, the first to pursue graduate school. All of my family – brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it – were looking at me as the gauge. My fear was that if I messed up, it might discourage other family members.” Instead, as a result of his “brute strength” determination, Flores can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that he has become a positive role model for many others. “When students hear his life experiences, it makes them understand that he has gone through similar things,” Mejia explained. “It brings a connection and helps them say to themselves, ‘If he’s done it, I can do it, too.’” I MOVE PEOPLE IN WAYS YOU NEVER EXPECTED. THE SOUND OF AN APPROACHING PLANE can give hope to people in need. At Boeing, everything you work on will be built as though someone depended on it. That’s why we’re here. The job categories below reﬂect skills we are seeking for various positions in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington. To view the available jobs at each location and to apply, visit: boeing.com/collegecareers • AEROSPACE ENGINEERING • BUSINESS/FINANCE/ACCOUNTING • COMPUTER/ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY • EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING • INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING • INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING • SECURITY AND FIRE PROTECTION • SYSTEMS/SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Copyright © 2008 Boeing. All rights reserved. Apply at: b o e i n g . c o m / c o l l e g e c a r e e r s – click on “get hired” To view a comprehensive listing of all available positions, please visit: boeing.com/employment. Security clearance requirements are indicated in the position listings. U.S. citizenship is necessary for all positions requiring a security clearance. Boeing is an equal opportunity employer supporting diversity in the workplace. www.SHPE.org R Spring 2008 35 http://boeing.com/collegecareers http://boeing.com/collegecareers http://boeing.com/collegecareers http://www.SHPE.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Spring08

SHPE - Spring08 Contents President’s Letter Browser Letters to the Editor Calendar of Events The Magic of Thinking BIG Five Steps to Easier Fundraising Designing Women ¡Viva Verde! The Education and Training of Ramon Flores Breakthroughs in Mobile Military Communications The Retention Doctor Success at School Begins at Home STAR Nominations Do Good Things Come to Those Who Wait? Programs & Services Regional Roundup Advertisers Index

SHPE - Spring08

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