Claudia Bjork A second chance brings personal satisfaction
At 28, Claudia Bjork traded a career in sales for her future as a civil engineer. As R&D engineer at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls, Bjork researches various opportunities to reduce cost by improving shipbuilding processes. Bjork’s father and grandfather both were involved with the engineering field and worked for Ingalls, but growing up, she wasn’t pressured toward that path. She did well in physics and math, and she received praise for her drive as well as being detail-oriented, analytical and systematic in her sales career. In 2010, she left her sales job and enrolled at the University of South
Alabama in the civil engineering program. Years before, she had dropped out of college. Now, she was a single mother and college student. She also had a better understanding of who Claudia Bjork is. “Ultimately, I chose civil engineering because of me,” she said. “By 28, I knew my capabilities and I knew engineering would be a field of work where I could not only find pride in what I do, but also determine my own path to success. It is a path that would have many obstacles and would be an uphill fight, but that is what makes it worth it. To know that I played a significant role in fixing a real-world problem is one of the best feelings ever.” Today, she credits family and friends as well as her own work ethic for her success. She also says mentors
Shaya Heckman Serving her country as an oceanographer
As a little girl living in Hawaii, Shaya Heckman was drawn to the ocean and wanted to study it. Her father, a now-retired U.S. Army general, served three tours on Oahu for a total of nine years, and the family frequently enjoyed the beach. “I was fascinated by the ocean, its vastness and its many unknowns. This intrigue is what led me to become an oceanographer,” she said. Today, she is a program analyst for the Naval Oceanographic (NAVO) Plans, Programs and Requirements Department, Plans and Program Assessment Group at Stennis Space Center. The daughter of an Air Force nurse 84
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and an Army Air Defense officer, she grew up with three sisters and is the mother of two little girls. “I have been surrounded by girls and women my entire life and my parents instilled in me from a very young age the importance of working hard and knowing that I could do and be anything. I wanted to be a scientist, so that is what I became through my schooling. It has been such a rewarding career with a broad spectrum of studies, from oil exploration to safety of navigation for submarines. Working for the Navy, I know that everything I do impacts the warfighter, and I am proud to serve our country as a federal employee,” she said. Her favorite Bible verse helps
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have been crucial along the way, and now she serves as a mentor to others. “You are never too old to start over and work towards accomplishing your dreams,” Bjork said.
Heckman stay focused in difficult times: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11