Nikki Taylor

Nikki has an easygoing way of describing her skills: “I’m always trying to look closely at situations and figure things out,” she says simply. Today she puts those critical-thinking skills to work as a senior laboratory planner. “Lab planning is detail oriented and specialized,” she explains. “I focus on one aspect of a solution, striving to blend it with the overall concept.” She credits her parents for recognizing her talents and suggesting she pursue architecture. Now Nikki is the one exposing youngsters to her profession, participating in career fairs and summer camps like Project Pipeline. One of her favorite movies also can be a source of inspiration: Hidden Figures, which showcases a group of black women at NASA in the 1960s. “When you’re in an occupation where you don’t see many people who look like you, it may make you feel isolated,” explains Nikki, “but you may use it as an opportunity to show others what gifts and talents you bring to the table.”