In the award’s 30-year history, thousands of America’s most creative and innovative professionals have been nominated for this nationally recognized honor. With that said, less than 1000 individuals have achieved the distinction of being a BEYA honoree. 

During her acceptance speech, Tamara shared her story of deciding to become an engineer in eighth grade, and how she traveled to Texas to work for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. 

“So I set out with no job, family, interview, or connections, and with only $292 in my pocket. Fast forward 13 years, and here I am.” Tamara credits her parents with teaching her that all things are possible.

Tamara is currently assigned as Lead Systems Engineer for the F-22 Raptor at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. She is a member of the Advanced Technical Leadership Program, a highly selective program within Lockheed Martin aimed at molding future technical leaders for the enterprise. Her most notable project was leading the effort to select, organize and store the thousands of tools necessary to build the F-22 Raptor. Watch video of the F-22 Raptor in action here.

Congratulations again to Tamara for all her achievements. The TAME family is proud of her work promoting diversity in STEM and creating partnerships among industry, educators, and families. Tamara inspires TAME students to follow in her footsteps. 

Photo of Tamara with her parents and one of her three brothers. She credits her parents Archie and Jeannelle Crawford with teaching her that all things are possible.

By Lindsey Carmichael, February 29, 2016.