2017 Year-end Summary

2017 was an amazing year for me. Reflecting back, I can't believe how much I have grown as a person and professionally. In January, I went back to school and started my Master's in Engineering Management. In May, I was one of 16 engineers selected for the Engineering Leadership Development Program for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. In addition, I traveled to three states I haven't been to before: Oahu, Hawaii in March, Chicago, Illinois in July, and Washington, DC in September. Finally, to end the year on a positive note, I received a promotion just last week. The promotion showed me that the culmination of all my efforts in 2017 finally paid off and it is a strong way to kick off 2018!

Here is the year-end summary for my 2017 New Year's Resolutions.

1. Learn something new every day (and write it down!)

I utilized a variety of sources to learn something new every day in 2017, which the most significant source was YouTube. Another significant portion was from the six Master's classes I took this year. The classes I took were: Effective Oral Presentations, Managing in the Multicultural Environment, Project Management Basics, Microsensors, Advanced Leadership, and Mechatronics.

In addition to YouTube and class, I started two new jobs this year where I learned about different technical processes and gained new skills. Outside of work, I took three Ninja Warrior classes, four Parkour classes and a salsa class as well. In these classes, I learned the proper technique to climb the Salmon Ladder, the different ways to clear an obstacle while running, and the proper footwork when salsa dancing with a partner. I continued to learn even when I was on vacation. I visited the Polynesian Cultural Center in Oahu, went on an architectural river cruise in Chicago, and toured the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC.

Here are 10 interesting things I learned in 2017:

1) March 18th: Unassigned seating is the fastest way to board an airplane

2) April 5th: On average, each video view of YouTube makes 1/4 of one cent in ad revenue

3) April 27th: Sloths are slow due to evolution

4) May 3rd: A zero-G plane simulates zero gravity by ascending and descending at very steep angles

5) June 4th: Japan has 1 vending machine for every 23 people

6) July 18th: Adding more lanes increases traffic. Adding tolls decreases traffic.

7) August 3rd: The maximum occupancy of a room is determined by the amount of doorway space available

8) September 17th: In the last 16 NBA drafts, there has been someone drafted whose father played in the NBA

9) November 9th: Why the United States looks "blocky" from an airplane

10) Date unknown: There are dead wasps in the figs you eat

Here are 10 YouTube Channels that I recommend subscribing to learn something new every day:

1) Wendover Productions

2) Vox

3) Today I Found Out

4) CGP Grey

5) Ted-Ed

6) ASAP Science

7) Brave Wilderness

8) Half as Interesting

9) The Infographics Show

10) Veritasium

The complete list of what I learned every day is here.

2. Start a new job

In February, I left my previous program after 3 years and took on a different role in another program. In this new position, I created drawings, wrote procedures, designed an interconnect spreadsheet, and procured hardware for a tech refresh of 18 racks used to process telemetry data. I got to work on a project with a shorter timeline and was able to be involved in the design, integration, and testing of it. This was a great change-of-pace for me to work on a short-term project with a small team.

After getting selected to the Engineering Leadership Development Program, I took on a stretch assignment as my first job rotation. Since June, I have been running the Risk and Opportunity Management Board for the Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test Directorate for the program I work on. I learned about risk management, the current risks on the program, and how directors and senior managers run effective meetings.

I will be working these two jobs until April 2018. That is when I will be starting my next job rotation and be involved in launching, orbit raising, and sustainment efforts for a communications satellite. I'm extremely excited to start this next rotation because it will be my first time working on satellites. There's a great opportunity for me to learn new skills and technical knowledge.

3. Travel to a foreign country

I had ambitious plans this year to travel to a foreign country, but didn't plan a trip before it was too late. However, the three domestic trips I went on this year were incredible and fun experiences.

During my spring break in March, I went to Oahu with 4 friends and was able to go snorkeling, jet skiing, and parasailing for the first time. I visited the Polynesian Cultural Center and learned about the history of several Pacific islands, including Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti.

During the 4th of July weekend, I took a week off with 3 friends and went to Chicago for the first time. I visited the two tallest buildings in Chicago (Skydeck Chicago and 360 Chicago), went on an architectural river cruise, and visited several museums. Here's a PowerPoint of my trip, including photos and the places I went to.

In September, I decided to arrive in Washington, DC a few days before a conference and did a LOT of sightseeing. I spent half a day in Arlington, Virginia and then tried to see everything I could in the National Mall over the next two days. In total, I walked 75,000 steps, and visited 6 landmarks, 10 memorials and 7 Smithsonian museums in 2.5 days. Here's the PowerPoint of that trip.

4. Learn a new language

Throughout the year, I have been using Duolingo to learn Vietnamese (and review Spanish AND review Mandarin Chinese). My current streak is at 760 consecutive days and I recently increased my daily goal to 5 lessons. I do two lessons of Vietnamese, a lesson of review of Spanish, and 2 lessons of Mandarin. I am about 80% complete with the Vietnamese course, 100% complete with Spanish, and about 50-60% complete with Mandarin.

For next year, I am going to continue with my 5 lessons a day until I complete either Vietnamese and/or Mandarin. At that time, I will attempt to learn a 5th language, so share your suggestions!

Closing

Thank you all for following me on my journey this year to accomplish my 2017 New Year's resolutions. I appreciate all the positive comments and support throughout the entire year. I hope reading these monthly updates have inspired you to set goals for yourself and motivated you to accomplish them. In the next couple days, I will be publishing an article about my 2018 New Year's resolutions, and I look forward to reading about yours!