John Hughes Memorial Scholarship
Donation protected
John Hughes passed away recently, a huge loss for the many people who knew him. In the days following his death, the outpouring of emails, text messages, and phone calls served as a somber reminder of the influence he had on so many people. I'd like to touch on some of the memories that John left behind.
John served his country in the Air Force, spending time in sunny Alaska and tropical Plattsburg. John would retell these stories with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas, while being very forthright about mistakes he'd made. After the Air Force, John went off to college for an engineering degree.
At NASA Goddard, John worked on 15 different missions over the course of 20 years and found himself in a leadership position at almost every turn. He had great instincts for technical subjects, but truly excelled in understanding people. He was a ferocious protector of HIS team, whoever that happened to be.
John understood "The Mission" better than most. When we were working Landsat-8 prelaunch and a comment was made about how people needed to give 110%, John pointed out that 110% would be 44 hours, which was basically lunch-time on Wednesday. He carried his mission beyond the workplace, serving on the steering committee of the Astronautical Engineering department at Capitol Technology University and as the chair of the AIAA Space Operations and Support working group.
Through his work at Goddard, John was a tireless advocate for younger engineers, particularly interns and veterans. John seemed to spot a diamond in the rough before he finished shaking their hand. He was also a social animal, constantly recruiting for his Goddard softball team or looking for a golf foursome. His quick wit and blunt honesty made for great entertainment and the occasional drama. You never knew what John was going to say, but you always knew where he stood.
We'd like to honor those memories and others by creating a scholarship fund geared towards engineering students at Capitol Technology University. Any quantity of money raised through this campaign will be used towards granting scholarships, but the goal is to raise in excess of $30k in order to create a permanent endowment.
John served his country in the Air Force, spending time in sunny Alaska and tropical Plattsburg. John would retell these stories with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas, while being very forthright about mistakes he'd made. After the Air Force, John went off to college for an engineering degree.
At NASA Goddard, John worked on 15 different missions over the course of 20 years and found himself in a leadership position at almost every turn. He had great instincts for technical subjects, but truly excelled in understanding people. He was a ferocious protector of HIS team, whoever that happened to be.
John understood "The Mission" better than most. When we were working Landsat-8 prelaunch and a comment was made about how people needed to give 110%, John pointed out that 110% would be 44 hours, which was basically lunch-time on Wednesday. He carried his mission beyond the workplace, serving on the steering committee of the Astronautical Engineering department at Capitol Technology University and as the chair of the AIAA Space Operations and Support working group.
Through his work at Goddard, John was a tireless advocate for younger engineers, particularly interns and veterans. John seemed to spot a diamond in the rough before he finished shaking their hand. He was also a social animal, constantly recruiting for his Goddard softball team or looking for a golf foursome. His quick wit and blunt honesty made for great entertainment and the occasional drama. You never knew what John was going to say, but you always knew where he stood.
We'd like to honor those memories and others by creating a scholarship fund geared towards engineering students at Capitol Technology University. Any quantity of money raised through this campaign will be used towards granting scholarships, but the goal is to raise in excess of $30k in order to create a permanent endowment.
Co-organizers (3)
Travis Chezick
Organizer
Crofton, MD
Tanaa Bell
Beneficiary
Vic Gehr
Co-organizer