Like so many other Engineers working in the industry, Amber\nWhittaker didn\u2019t set out to be an Aerospace Engineer. What she did have was\nencouragement, from her parents, her teachers and now from colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been blessed with a great support system, starting\nwith my parents,\u201d Amber said. \u201cSince I\u2019ve been at Textron Aviation, starting\nwith my internship, I\u2019ve worked in very good groups with so many mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always felt I was part of the team,\u201d she continued.\n\u201cIt all comes down to the work you put in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Wichita native, Amber was always good at math and\ndeveloped an interest in mechanical technology through her father. Originally\nheaded for a career in education, she was encouraged at home and in high school\nto pursue Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seemed logical, given the wealth of aerospace companies\nin town, but it wasn\u2019t always easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do well in my first aerodynamics class and wondered\nif this was really the right career for me,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI was hearing words\nlike fuselage and empennage for the first time, and I struggled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She asked a favorite professor, also a woman, if she should\nleave the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe told me I had already been through the basic courses,\nand succeeded, so keep pushing,\u201d Amber said. \n\u201cEngineering teaches you how to fail while you keep looking for\nsolutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She first came to Textron Aviation through a co-op program,\ncombining work and classes, and then became full-time nine years ago. Two years\nlater, she joined the McCauley Propeller team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMcCauley is a smaller scale company, and you get to be part\nof the entire program, from design and testing to certification and product\nsupport,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI\u2019ve been very lucky as we get to wear a lot of hats\nhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCauley Propeller, a division within Textron Aviation, has\nalso given her more and more responsibility, something she actively seeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just want to keep growing, be a contributor, bring value\nto the company, and be a mentor to others,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI think Engineering is\nthe greatest job in the world and very rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is one primary lesson she would pass on to other young\nwomen in Engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBe open to failure because that\u2019s how you learn.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n