A special former student of Belgrave’s Mater Christi College, now a Chief Engineer for Cybersecurity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), visited the school during a trip to Australia with her husband and son on Friday, June 27.
Dr Kymie Tan, Class of 1987, stood before the school where her journey began, with her husband Mitch and their son Alex seated in the audience. It was a return to her roots – a moment to reflect on how far she had come since her high school days.
“I’m here today to share with you the power of a strong STEM foundation, and to give back to Mater Christi,” she said.
“This is where I grew up, where I learned, and I have so many fond memories of my time here. It shaped who I am today.”
Dr Tan’s path from Mater Christi to one of the top roles in cybersecurity at NASA wasn’t straightforward.
“When I was your age, I was just as confused as you probably are now,” she said.
“But one thing I knew was that I loved learning. And it was here that I was encouraged to pursue computer science and engineering – even though, as a girl, I was often told it wasn’t for me.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. Look into science, technology, engineering, and math. It doesn’t matter what others say, go after what interests you.”
Dr Tan said her career at NASA didn’t happen by accident, she had moments of doubt, but she also had mentors who guided her along the way. One of those mentors was sister Margaret, had taught her a crucial lesson that she would carry with her throughout her life.
“Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of it,” Dr Tan said.
“Sister Margaret taught me how to handle failure, not just to bounce back, but to lean into it and learn from it. That’s what got me through some of the toughest times.”
This lesson was vital when she took a risky move early in her NASA career.
“When I first started at JPL, I went to the CIO and said, ‘I think your system is vulnerable. I think it can be hacked.’ He told me, ‘Well, prove it. But if you do, you’ll go to jail because JPL is a federal lab,’” she said during the assembly.
Dr Tan couldn’t let it go. So, she hacked into JPL’s systems to demonstrate the vulnerabilities. The consequences could have been severe, but instead, the lab’s director saw the opportunity to strengthen their defenses. “What did you learn?” he asked. “How do we fix it?”
From that point on, Dr Tan became an integral part of JPL’s mission cybersecurity efforts, protecting critical space assets.
Her journey has been a testament to the power of persistence.
“I’m not the smartest, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the best,” she said.
“But I kept showing up. I kept leaning into failure and kept moving forward. That’s what made the difference.”
She didn’t shy away from sharing that her career required tough decisions, she had worked on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, a groundbreaking project that explored Jupiter’s moon Europa for signs of life.
She had also played a key role in shaping space policy at the White House – these milestones, she said, were made possible by a willingness to take risks, even when she was terrified.
“Fortune favours the bold,” she told the students.
“You’ll be scared. But if you show up, even when you’re afraid, you’ll get somewhere. It’s the people who keep pushing through the fear who make the real impact.”
Throughout her talk, Dr Tan emphasised that success isn’t just about talent, it’s about resilience.
“Failure is not a setback, it’s a part of the journey. If you’re scared to fail, you won’t ever try to succeed. Take risks. Make mistakes. Learn from them,” she said.
Dr Tan’s return to Mater Christi was also a moment for herself to reflect on how far the school had come and how much it had shaped her own life.
“I came here from Malaysia, and my primary school didn’t challenge me at all. But this place did. The teachers pushed me to think, to grow, and to explore,” she said.
“That’s what’s important. Not just the subjects, but the ability to be curious and learn.”
After the talk, the students had a chance to ask Dr Tan questions, and many were inspired by her humble approach to success.
“It’s been a long journey, but it all started with showing up, being open to learning, and embracing failure as part of the process,” she said.
As she wrapped up, Dr Tan shared one final piece of advice.
“Dare mighty things. Don’t settle for playing it safe. The real growth happens when you take a leap – even if you don’t know exactly where you’ll land,” she said.
