The 27th annual Women of Color STEM Conference convened at Huntington Place, Detroit, October 6-8, under the theme The Struggle. The Progress. The Future.
During the gala, the red-carpet event which brought together members of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) community and the organizations that support them, award winners thanked family, friends, and colleagues, and recounted lessons learned.
Andra Homer received the Career Achievement in Government Award, which recognizes an employee with over 15 years in the workforce whose experience enhances her job, division, and organization.
As a chief financial officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division, Sacramento District, Andra oversees a billion-dollar multi-discipline program. Utilizing 20-plus years of accounting expertise, she developed an automated tool to better manage department workload.
She also promotes equity as the first chair of the diversity and inclusion council and the first woman of color to serve on the corporate board at the Sacramento District.
Four thousand, one hundred and seventy-three missed shots," Andra said in her acceptance speech. "I want you to think about that number: 4,173. That's the number of missed shots from Stephen Curry, the NBA champion," she explained. "It's common to be applauded for the shots we make but just think about the shots we miss. I thought I missed a shot when I took my first low-wage job with an upgrade in a very wealthy LA [Los Angeles] neighborhood. But in fact, with the missed shots, I learned resilience, patience, discipline, and servitude. Missing shots, that's how you learn to make shots. So keep practicing. Keep running. Keep going because that's how we win."
