Favorite movie actor: Denzel Washington
Favorite T.V. show: Everybody Loves Raymond (Now has to settle for syndicated reruns.)
Favorite Childhood Toy: "Definitely my Cabbage patch doll."
For fun I... "Write poetry."
Favorite Snack: (Shontese was pregnant at the time of filming, so she said her favorite was "everything!")
How Many Push-Ups Can You Do? "One, maybe. Get back to me in a couple of months."
Favorite Color: Sky blue (Very appropriate for working at an Air Force base.)

What are you working on right now?
"Right now, I'm working on a C-130 J aircraft, which is the number one aircraft in the military. We are gearing up to do some crew work load - looking at the work load each member of the crew has to go through to do their day-to-day job."

What was your most exciting day, so far?
"It was the first day I got to fly on the C-130 J aircraft. It was the very first time I've ever been on a military aircraft. Even though I got sick, it was very adventurous - it was over five hours of fun."

Tell us about the training you received here.
"As a Human Factors Engineer, I do a lot of statistical analyses. My background is in math and industrial engineering, so it didn't really take me that long to gear up and get on-board. They will try and get you acclimated as much as possible, so you go through several training programs, including the New Engineer Training. That's an awesome program. It's conducted in an informal classroom setting, with technical experts to speak about what they do on base and what types of opportunities are available here. Then you get to visit the Ridley Center and the Rocket Lab. As a new engineer, they will take you under their wing and mentor you. But once you get acclimated, you'll be handed your own responsibilities. You'll work with air crew members on a daily basis. You work with engineers of different disciplines to help develop flight test schedules."

What do you do after work?
"I go to our fitness centers. They offer yoga, pilates, spinning classes, and aerobics. They have great restaurants here on base. We have a bowling center. Just about anything you want in a town is right here on base."

What would you say to someone who is interested in joining Edwards?
"Think about it, we're testing technology that has never been used in an operational environment, so the technologies that we have here are just amazing. The challenges are amazing. So if you got into engineering because you are looking for a real challenge and you don't want it to end just because you got your degree, then Edwards is definitely the place to be. If you want a job where you can literally make a world of difference…if you believe in your country… if you believe in the job our troops are doing, then this is the place you need to be, because we are testing the systems they are using every single day."

Why did you choose to work in the DoD?
"It would have to be the job security. I worked in the private sector before I came here, and there were layoffs. Just knowing that you're going to have a job tomorrow is a wonderful feeling. This environment is also not as rigid as I thought. The people here are very laid-back. We all have a common goal, which is to support our troops. My DoD career has definitely surpassed my expectations."