PANDEMIC RESPONSE
was very worthwhile, and she encour- aged eligible civilians to apply. “I loved the content and I loved my cohort. I was blessed enough to have classmates who were honest, thoughtful and engaging,” she said. “Our instructors were knowl- edgeable and open to helping us apply the lessons taught in class to our real life chal- lenges.” Always focused on the practicality of education, she is quick to share those lessons with others, providing encourage- ment and reassurance to junior acquisition personnel.
“I know it can be very intimidating when you first start,” she said. “Be will- ing to work and be willing to learn from your mistakes and humbly admit them.” Early in her career, she said she felt like she needed to be perfect at her job, and have the answers to every question—but that approach ultimately made things more difficult. “It held me back and even impeded my efficacy,” she recalled. “I tell all the junior acquisition personnel to ‘embrace the suck’ and to be prepared to get back up after you have been knocked down.” She also encourages them to build a broad network of professional connec- tions from different career fields. “Tey can inform you of opportunities that are not on your radar and give you a loving push into opportunities that you may not have pursued.”
Tande-Kamiru said she is grateful for the learning opportunities that she’s been given in her career so far. “Where I was truly stretched was in the devel- opmental assignments I took during my time at ATEC,” she said. First, she took a part-time developmental assignment in ATEC’s G-1 office, where she worked on policies for leadership development and mentorship. Next, she was assigned to the Strategic Initiatives Group with the Army Evaluation Center (AEC) headquar- ters. “Tere, I further developed a training
KEEP IT CLEAN
Thande-Kamiru, second from left, and safety engineer Michelle Brain, left, provide training on proper disinfecting processes at Aberdeen Test Center. (Photo by ATC Technical Imaging Division)
initiative for AEC employees, on what they need to know to be an evaluator and test manager,” she said. And she took advan- tage of just about any form of training that was offered to her. “I found leader- ship classes provided at Aberdeen Proving Ground [Maryland], such as the Emerg- ing Leadership cohort classes, to be really helpful. Tey provided me an opportu- nity to look at challenges that I was facing at work from a different perspective and come up with solutions utilizing the skills I learned.” Te most important lesson she’s learned so far is the importance of know- ing her own worth. “It is so important to be your own best advocate,” she said. “Whether it be advocating for new oppor- tunities or whether it be standing up for your reputation, you have to be prepared to stand up for yourself sometimes.”
Earlier this year, she put those theories to the test. She was working in a devel- opmental assignment with the technical director of Aberdeen Test Center, assisting
with strategic challenges facing the center. And then came the pandemic. “I was in this role when COVID-19 hit, and I was chosen to spearhead an effort to deter- mine a disinfection protocol that would help keep the center open and safe,” she said. Because of her background as an eval- uator for decontamination solutions and her experience with data analysis, she was the right fit for the difficult task. “It was a challenging effort developing requirements and looking at the ever-growing list of EPA-approved systems. It was a great expe- rience, and I’m thankful to my mentor for encouraging me to stretch myself and apply for the assignment,” she said.
Thande-Kamiru, the story teller and perpetual student, is walking proof of her own advice—stay curious, try new things, know your worth and look for practical knowledge wherever possible.
—ELLEN SUMMEY
https://asc.ar my.mil
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