In casual conversation, perhaps when an intellectually-demanding topic surfaces, our first reaction is to say, “well, it’s not rocket science!” For decades, rocket science was the measuring stick by which all intellects must be measured.
Although the phrase acts as a catch-all moniker to describe difficult subjects, who are the individuals who, in fact, design, build and launch rockets into the air? Today, let’s talk about a rocket scientist who goes above and beyond her call of duty to ensure high-quality engineering and craftsmanship goes into every rocket humans use to push the boundaries of their limitations: Tessy Thomas.
The Biography of Tessy Thomas: Early Signs of Greatness
While other girls her age were playing with their toys, talking about their school-aged sweethearts and exchanging notes with friends, Thomas was gazing to the heavens, asking herself, “what if?” Where other engineers enter the field of rocketry at a later age, perhaps after meandering over various fields of study, Tessy Thomas always knew she wanted to enter the world of rocketry.
Born into a middle-to-upper-class family, Thomas used her parents’ encouragement and self-driving demeanor to push past limiting beliefs and social norms. In India, women are encouraged to pursue so-called ‘feminine’ roles, such as those within the medical field, public service and childcare. For Thomas, however, these careers were unsatisfactory: she wanted to push the limits of human potential and work on critical problems that plagued her home country — India.
Her parents knew Tessy was destined for greatness when they would catch her marveling over aeronautical crafts zooming in the sky with surgical-like precision and agility. Similarly, Thomas stood in awe while watching rockets launch from India’s rocketry foundation, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Where many kids briefly stand in bewilderment beneath the dull glow of rocket trails before diverting their attention to another subject, Tessy Thomas never let go of her childlike wonder and curiosity. Today, she uses the same motivation she experienced as a kid to, quite literally, fuel her ambitions and tackle the planet’s most pressing issues through the domain of rocketry.
What Makes Her Tick?
In general terms, Tessy Thomas is a woman who wakes up each morning with a simple goal: to use her knowledge base to help solve challenging problems and finish projects. Put simply, Tessy Thomas dedicates her waking hours to becoming a lifelong learner, never looking at a problem as something “beyond her reach.” Instead, Tessy dives deep into her chosen domain and extracts the valuable data required to act as one of the fifty board members for the Institute of Armament Technology (IAT).
While Thomas works on militarized systems and tracking technology for India’s fast-growing defense sector, her goal is to unite the world under a peaceful umbrella of mutual respect. In Tessy Thomas’ own words, “strength respects strength.” and India has experienced its fair share of global prejudice in the past within the technology sector surrounding aviation and militarized defense systems.
According to scientist Tessy Thomas, the Agni missile — a missile crafted and engineered by India’s best minds — was a project birthed from hardship and setback. “The problem with Agni missiles was that no country wanted to give us the technology required to build them.”
According to Thomas, India’s scientists and engineers worked around the clock for years, formulating a solution to improve India’s defense system. After a period of grueling work and hard-fought challenges, the Agni missile was born, launching India’s defense capabilities into the upper echelons. Although stories like this shock and surprise outsiders, Thomas knows one thing to be true: perseverance and focus can move mountains.
Tessy Thomas’ Ambitions Today
While researching facts like “Tessy Thomas’ education” and “what’s the age of Tessy Thomas?” it’s easy to forget that, like us, she has a life outside the office. Although Tessy Thomas’ background would make one think her life is flooded with all-things rocketry, she spends her leisurely time with simple tasks, such as watching television shows, growing her garden and cooking delicious meals.
More importantly, Thomas uses her spare hours to educate and motivate the next wave of female minds in India’s growing technology sector. One of Tessy’s passions is encouraging women to use their intellectual prowess and curiosity to build worthwhile projects and services to help India thrive in the coming decades. Moreover, Thomas uses her abilities — both in and out of the workplace — to help India establish itself as a global hub for technology and engineering. While much work needs to be done, Tessy Thomas is a shining star in the emerging culture of the Eastern world.
