During his 20-year U.S. Navy career, Shane found a sense of belonging and the skills to get his second career at Northrop Grumman.
Safe to Fly
Abraham’s Story: The Lost Boys of Sudan
Now a public health analyst with Northrop Grumman, Abraham Ater is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, forced to cross 1,000 miles of desert as a nine-year-old boy.
Champions Among Us
We’ve all heard about them: elite athletes pushing the boundaries of their sports, achieving things most of us have only ever seen on TV. Like all of us, those athletes have a story and, while no two stories are the same, they tend to have some similar [...]Read More...
Connecting the Dots
After immigrating from war-torn Afghanistan, Sabawon eventually saw his hard work pay off when he joined Northrop Grumman.
A Dream Interrupted, a Community Found
By Leigh McLeod Northrop Grumman Mission Assurance Manager Otis was unsure of his future when the college he was attending dropped aerospace engineering from its curriculum. His dream of becoming an aerospace engineer and astronaut seemed out of reach. Then one night, while attending a basketball game at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, [...]Read More...
Embracing Duality
In Northrop Grumman Systems Engineer Tejas’ closet, two sides stand out: bright athleisure and clothes for work on one side, and fatigues and combat boots on the other.
The Height of Her Career
Claire is a field engineer for Northrop Grumman’s Ionospheric Ground Sensors program – installing and maintaining 100-foot towers around the world.
From Outer Space to Northrop Grumman
Three astronauts discuss their career paths, which have taken them everywhere from outer space to Northrop Grumman.
Homeward Bound
. Project Management Manager Evelyn Sobierajska remembers her father reciting this quote when she was young; it’s stuck with her throughout her life, including during her 18 years with Northrop Grumman.
Finding Rainbows in the Fire
Welder Thomas Gibson honed his skills in the U.S. Navy, repairing ship hulls while stationed in Japan. Today, as a welder at Northrop Grumman’s site in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thomas has a hard job, literally: he welds iridium, the second-densest material on Earth, in support of the company’s laser crystal production.
Got Bots
When engineer Matt Hobbs first saw BB-8 — the ball-shaped droid from "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" — he was impressed by the CGI. It wasn’t until Matt attended a Star Wars fan event and saw a robotic version of BB-8 rolling onstage that he started thinking about how he could engineer something similar.
Building Rocket Brains
Growing up on his family’s Missouri farm, Chet Ross never imagined that he would touch rocket brains. But today, that is exactly what he is known for.
Hometown Influencers, Hollywood Storyline
For Systems Engineering Manager LaDawn Randall, it was the women from her hometown of Hampton Roads, Virginia, who opened her eyes to what her future could be.
Through the Looking Glass
Rosibel Diaz grew up loving puzzles, but never imagined those planning and problem-solving skills would lead her to bonding mirrors on the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb).
The Case of the Missing Key
Engineering Manager CJ used a Northrop Grumman perk to discover what was inside the World War II footlocker he inherited from his grandfather.
Survival, Strength and Service
While I will always be recovering, my story is not over. In 2022, I started a new chapter with Northrop Grumman in Roy, Utah. At this site, and across the entire company, I found an incredible community of veterans still serving the mission every day. As a systems engineer on the Sentinel program, I know that I’m doing what I set out to do from the start: protect the world for generations to come.
Designing for a Difference
Mei-Li considers engineering just one part of her identity. The nonprofit she co-founded, Atwero provides assistive devices to persons with disabilities in Uganda.
A Bright Thread
I tell people I feel like I hit the jackpot when I joined Northrop Grumman in July 2022. My husband is a Northrop Grumman engineer, and, seeing how happy he is at work, I thought, “I want in on that.”
A Change of Scenery
For many Northrop Grumman employees, one of the most exciting things about a career at the company is that you never know where it will take you — but you do know that your team will be there every step of the way.
Finding Stability
As a kid, I dreamed of becoming an FBI agent. But after finishing high school, I realized that I needed to cultivate better discipline in my life, so I left college to join the U.S. Army. I became an Army counterintelligence special agent, keeping U.S. classified information safe. As a badged federal agent for over 20 years, I conducted sensitive investigations related to espionage, treason, sedition and terrorism.
Countering Cyber Threats on the Night Shift
Elysia had plans to be a lawyer. After graduating college in 2012, she worked for the Maryland State's Attorney's Office and two law firms before deciding instead to pursue a newfound interest in cybersecurity.
Walk in My Shoes: Testing the Limits
To the untrained eye, the hypersonics test bay in Ronkonkoma, New York, looks like a maze of interconnected pipes, valves and hoses. Fortunately, Missile Products Technician Dan Folks, who started his career as a plumber, has a very trained eye.
From Blackboard to Blueprint
From substitute teaching to aerospace manufacturing, Traci Elliot’s career growth shows the power of the supportive, inclusive workplace she found at Northrop Grumman. “Be impactful, learn from smart people, and offer help — whatever form it takes,” she said. “That mentality has brought me here.”
Joining the Fight
After making activity booklets to help his sister through her chemotherapy treatments, Quality Engineer Scott Murphy launched a nonprofit to spread this act of kindness to cancer patients nationwide.
Carving Out Space on the Mountain
Engineer Cathy is breaking down barriers on the slopes. After moving to Colorado, Engineer Cathy picked up snowboarding and became a regular on the mountain. But on the slopes, she noticed that not many people looked like her. Read about how Cathy is breaking down barriers for everyone.
One Heritage: A Proud History
One Heritage: A Proud History - Longtime PrIDA member Jon Eubanks reflects on the ERG’s journey.
Data in Bloom
As a data scientist for the Sentinel program, Mark Taylor builds interactive dashboards that blend art and information to create visual data stories. Outside of work, he couples that same sense of artistry and data analytics, applying it toward a colorful passion: rose cultivation.
A Clean Start
Anahi started her journey at Northrop Grumman right out of high school in housekeeping - 12 years later, she is a logistics management analyst for the F/A-18.
Safety Through the Storm
Luckily, Northrop Grumman Safety Systems Fellow Daniel Plawecki not only knows the right answer — he created it.
Finding La Familia
José is a systems engineer with a deep passion for STEM outreach and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Advocating with Agility
After transitioning to a project budget manager role, Daniela discovered her passion for project management and was introduced to the Lean-Agile methodology.
The Maestro
Not everyone working in defense describes their role like that of an orchestra director. But for Systems Engineer Stephen Guine, it’s an accurate comparison.
Innovation on All Fronts
Ken Friend served his country as a station commander in the U.S. Army for 24 years and said he was humbled by the talent that surrounded him every day. When he retired from the service, his passion to help empower veterans like himself grew — and, as a Northrop Grumman talent acquisition manager, he’s been finding inventive ways to connect veterans with the perfect fit for their passion.