Judy Ballance


I am the deputy managerof the Science and Technology Chief Engineers office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. I consider myself lucky to have the privilege of working on so many exciting space projects and programs. It is amazing to look at the technology that I work on each day – especially compared to my life growing up on a rural farm in North Alabama.

I don’t ever remember thinking I was poor while growing up. We always had plenty of food that we raised on the farm, and everyone in that rural area seemed to be in a similar situation. I was always taught that you work hard regardless of what your job is. Growing up with seven siblings, I worked on the farm – picking cotton, milking cows and cleaning out chicken houses. My first real job was at a chicken processing plant and I was glad to get it. Later, I worked at a cotton mill and washed dishes at a nursing home to put myself through junior college. All jobs, no manner how menial, are important. They provide a sense of accomplishment if you do the work to the best of your ability. Keep reading →