Meet Joan Melendez Misner | Spacecraft Engineer and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joan Melendez Misner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To be honest, it all just stemmed from the fact that I didn’t see much female representation in the media (especially social media) when it came to Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields.
Social media was a great way to break down the stereotype that Science and Engineering was only for men- women belong in this space too, so I wanted to build something that showcased my own personal career in hopes to encourage other young girls, especially Latina girls, to pursue these careers. So what started as a way to showcase representation, turned into a small business that I am proud to have. Now I get to work with brands to ensure women have the representation they rightfully deserve in these fields.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently a Spacecraft Engineer in the Space Industry launching scientific missions into space. I honestly feel like I have found my dream job, and I pinch myself daily. I got here by applying (as lame as that sounds); however, I will say that it took me 13 times of applications and rejections before I got an interview and ultimately the job. The agency where I work does not have many job openings, and when they do, half the country applies. So to me, my imposter syndrome was through the roof every time I got a rejection letter. It was not easy, and the hit to my ego/professional life was hard. However, every time I got a rejection, I called the recruiter asking, “What in my experience gave you pause in not wanting to offer me an interview”. I tried learning from my rejections so that the next time, I would come back with an extra piece of experience I didn’t have before (learn a new program, etc.). To me, after I wallow in my rejection/failure (because its only human to do so), I try to remember one of my favorite quotes-” Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of every success story”- Ariana Huffington. That is what I tell myself in order to pick myself back up. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. So if there is one thing a reader gets from this and takes away something that describes me, I’d say its this- Fail and fail often. Because failure is the way we learn and grow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I currently live in Orlando, FL; however, I go out to LA very often. LA is one of my favorite cities and if I can launch rockets from LA, I would in a heartbeat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, so many people that have helped me along the way, but to me the folks that have made the most impact in this space (pun intended) is the Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) community that we have helped build on social media. I mean, 10 years ago you would think of influencers as beauty, travel, or foodies (which is fantastic because that is one of the reason’s I joined Instagram, etc.), but now, you see so many accounts following the lives of women in the STEM fields, business, etc. It is so great that social media has now extended to showcase how diverse women are. The Women in STEM community have helped showcase and breakdown barriers for future generations by showing our every day lives in the field (good and bad), so other women do not have to feel alone. Our community is one of a kind and not only do we inspire the next generation, but we are an unwavering support system to one another as well.

Website: https://beacons.ai/yourfemaleengineer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourfemaleengineer/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-melendez-misner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YourFemaleEng

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourfemaleengineer/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourFemaleEng

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@YourFemaleEngineer

Image Credits
All taken by me.