SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic
The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) is the Navy’s Information Dominance Systems Command, and SPAWAR SC Atlantic is the  Department of the Navy organization that delivers and supports solutions that facilitate information for naval, joint, national and  coalition warfighters.
SSC Atlantic develops, acquires and provides life-cycle support for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, Information Technology (IT), and Space Capabilities. SSC Atlantic is a leading 
Navy engineering center that designs, builds, tests, fields and supports many of the finest frontline C4ISR systems in use today, and those being planned for the future.
The majority of SSC Atlantic’s approximately 3,800 federal civil service employees, 120 military personnel and 9,000 industry partners are located at the center’s headquarters in Charleston, SC, and at other Southeastern U.S. locations. SSC Atlantic overseas locations 
are in Europe, the Middle East and Antarctica.
SSC Atlantic has more than 1,452 customers around the globe.  Approximately 51 percent of them are Navy and Marine Corps commands, 37 percent are joint commands and 12 percent are federal agencies. SSC Atlantic supports Unified Combatant Commands USAFRICOM, 
USCENTCOM, USEUCOM, USJFCOM, USNORTHCOM, USSOCOM, USTRANSCOM and USSTRATCOM. Federal agency customers include the Department of State,  Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of  Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation  Administration and National Science Foundation.
Marilene Guardia-Baker (left), an electronics engineer, supervisor  for test, evaluation and certification competency – and also four recent graduates – spoke with Hispanic Career World about employment opportunities for Hispanics at SPAWAR.
For more information, please visit the following website: http:// www.public.navy.mil/spawar/Atlantic/.

What are your responsibilities at SPAWAR?
Marilene Guardia-Baker
As a Hispanic woman with a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, I am usually asked to participate in events focusing on science, technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach at local Elementary, Middle, High Schools and Colleges.
I am the chair for two High School’s Project Lead the Way Advisory Boards, and a member of a third; I mentor two FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams, am the lead volunteer for the Regional MATHCOUNTS competition, participate in the Lowcountry STEM Collaborative and am the SPAWAR representative to the Charleston  Engineers Joint Council, which is in charge of the annual Engineers Week activities in the area.
In the past couple of years, SSC ATLANTIC has made a concerted effort to reach out to the small, but growing, Hispanic community. My main  duty related to Hispanic outreach is to start the program, establishing contacts and coordinating activities in support of this effort.
As a first step, we participated in last year’s local Latin American  Festival, providing STEM careers and education information to children and parents, conducting robotics demonstrations (which the children loved) and talking to adults about careers and employment  opportunities at SSC ATLANTIC and other government agencies. We will be participating again this year.

Hispanic Career World
 How does SPAWAR reach out to recruit a diversified workforce?

Marilene Guardia-Baker
We use a diversified workforce to recruit a diversified workforce: volunteers at SSC ATLANTIC come from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, and we show how we all can work together to reach a common goal.
We begin by getting involved in the classrooms and providing opportunities for children to speak to STEM professionals. Children  are given opportunities to participate in various STEM programs: SSC ATLANTIC volunteers support more than a dozen FIRST Robotics FLC and 
FRC teams in the area, supporting students from 3rd to 12th grade.   SSC ATLANTIC volunteers also participate in three area school districts STEM boards, support various Project Lead the Way Pre-engineering programs in more than eight area high schools, support the development of Cyber Security curriculum for high schools in  conjunction with the State Department of Education, provide STEM- related talks at the schools, and bring students to our Command for tours and talks about career opportunities. We volunteer to support the annual Engineers Week competitions, MATHCOUNTS, Cyber Defense competitions, and various other local, regional and national competitions and events. The first STEM Girls Day Out for 8th grade girls and their parents took place this past weekend. More than 50 girls participated in hands-on activities, a college tour, robotics demonstrations and asking questions to female STEM professionals to learn more about careers and opportunities in STEM related fields. More information on Outreach, go to http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/ Atlantic/Pages/Outreach.aspx.
SSC ATLANTIC also recruits at various Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). We participate in the Society of Hispanic Professional  Engineers (SHPE) National Conference, as well as interact with various SHPE college/university chapters. Annually, SPAWAR attends 
the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC) Conference. We have several award winners over the years, most recently, SSC Pacific Technical Director Carmela Keeney, Executive Excellence-Military award.

Hispanic Career World
Does SPAWAR sponsor affinity groups or diversity councils for its co-workers who are members of minority groups?

Marilene Guardia-Baker
While SPAWAR cannot “sponsor” these (there are no funds to pay for someone’s membership fees), our employees support local chapters, college/university chapters, and national organizations: (i.e., National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers,  the Women in Defense area chapter, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, among others).

Hispanic Career World
What advice can you offer to college students looking to make the transition from the campus to the workplace?

Matthew Fann (Recent Graduate)
I would tell college students looking to make the transition from the campus to the workplace to be aware that the workplace is a different  environment than the classroom. You will no longer be graded on every assignment you complete, and there is much less feedback. Also, you  must be proactive in your job. Seek to implement changes and take control of your career; there is no course guide telling you exactly what classes are required for your career. Your future is up to you, not your boss. That was the biggest change for me.

Muhammad Patel (Recent Graduate)
The following is some genuine advice I would like to offer to college students looking to the make the transition from the campus to the workplace:
1) Learning does not stop after you graduate; it’s a lifelong process. Make it a goal to learn something new everyday and be a  better person than you were yesterday.
2) However menial and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best efforts. You have to demonstrate your value to the organization to achieve the projects and assignments of your preference. Request accountability and demonstrate that your care.
3) Entitlement is not a word found in the workplace vocabulary; you have to earn everything in life from here onwards.
4) Enjoy your career beyond a paycheck; money doesn’t bring  happiness. The gratification is earned through hard work and a clean conscious that brings peace to your life as a whole.
5) Cultivate a habit of being an empathetic listener; there is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth...use them wisely.
6) You will never know how competent you’re at an enterprise, unless you go ahead and give it a try. Be motivated by challenges and make a name for yourself for being a good finisher.

Benjamin Greco (Recent Graduate)
There are an abundance of programs, scholarships, grants and internships, federal or private industrial, that can help get students the experience they need to achieve their goals in finding their first job. Applying to such programs, and then making the most out of then, will give you a leg up on attaining and then succeeding in your first job in the real workplace.

Blake Wall (Recent Graduate)
Learn to communicate effectively, don’t be afraid to step out of  your comfort zone to understand something, take charge of your career from the beginning, and use your company’s 401k or equivalent.

Marilene Guardia-Baker
Realize that everything you have learned up to now simply allows you to enter the workplace; you will have to continue to study to stay relevant and employed. Learn time management skills, practice the art of listening, and learn etiquette (social and work-related).  Most of the projects we work on are supported by teams of very diverse people. It is important to understand that there are many solutions to one problem, and many valid points of view – respect them, even if you disagree. Finally, keep an open mind, and be humble  – even the smallest of beings can teach us significant lessons.