Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Hess
Hi Rick, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was little, I was interested in computers, video games, and mathematics. I came from a small area city in Fairmont, West Virginia, where technology wasn’t really abundant.
I started out in grade school playing with my dads PC that he had bought for his time in college. Computers were becoming a big thing in the 90s, so school libraries in the area were doubling up as computer classes. I started assisting the teachers with working with the computers, since technology wasn’t really something of interest for many people in the area. Eventually in high school, I actually got class credit for being an IT person during a ‘computer class’, and helping the teachers fix/diagnose problems. Additionally outside of school I tried to help other people and companies with IT related issues, from cleaning and repairing PCs, to setting up cable boxes, and even working on cell phones.
As high school ended, I was thinking that I was meant to be in an IT related field. My high school didn’t refer me to an IT program though. They knew I loved mathematics and this was the first step for me on the journey through Computer Science. I started out wondering why they would put me in such a field, but I am really glad now that they did.
After college, I ended up working as a contractor for the Depart of Defense, and then the Department of Energy as a computer programmer with an emphasis on C++, C#, Java, Asp.net, mainly developing webpages and supporting IT for the government. I loved creating webpages, but I really gained inspiration into trying to break the pages and fixing issues. At one point, my contract with the Department of Energy was ending, so my contracting company offered me to transfer me to another contract for the NASA Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility, located right in my city at the time in Fairmont, WV. “Working for NASA?” I thought. “This would be an amazing opportunity!”
I spent 12+ years working as an IV&V Analyst and IV&V Project Lead for NASA. My job required me to be an independent auditor and review requirements, design documents, tests, and (most importantly) computer code to ensure that the software that was written for mission control and the spacecrafts was sufficient for flight. I also helped assessed risk and where things could happen; not just where there were problems, and working in areas like cyber security. Over time, I became proficient in multiple tools as well, such as JIRA, Confluence, different databases, and many Static Code Analysis tools (tools used to review software code for defects). I’ve worked on many projects during the time being with NASA. including projects like Grail, Insight, OSIRIS-REx. As part of my job, I would also travel to multiple locations to attend reviews, test events, and even analyzing code onsite when needed. One of the findings I reported, for example, ended up impacting 4 different spacecrafts, 2 of which were already in flight. Additionally, I also worked as a project analyst AND project Lead (at the same time) for the Psyche and James Webb Space Telescope projects, Even though I might have moved to a manager role, I always wanted to help and be a part of the program. I want to help lead and encourage others by example; not just manage the project from afar.
While working at NASA, I also had the opportunity to help others grow. I would try to take on 1-3 college and high school interns annually to teach them to program and code in C++/C#/Java.
Finally in 2022, after being with the program for a while, I took a similar position with the same contractor working for the FAA HQ/Aviation Flight Safety, and now bringing my knowledge of testing to the FAA. I’ve recently became the manager of my task order that I started working on just a few years ago for the FAA, and I hope to continue to lead and encourage others. The best part is now I can work remotely full-time and be with my family while I travel between Florida and West Virginia.
Even with all this, I still wanted to do more. My family started to live down in Florida, so I decided to buy a few rental properties in the area as well with whatever money I had as down payments. Little by little, I started to buy properties starting in Homestead, and help find housing for people. I have a wonderful team of friends that I’ve met along the way down in Florida, from handymen, HVAC professionals, to even a great realtor who helps me find great tenants. Additionally I handle the properties directly after the tenants move in, and have made direct friendships with the tenants as well. Currently I have 4 rentals in the general Miami area, and a 4 unit house in Pittsburgh that I’m starting to manage as well.
I’ve also been doing social media since around 2019, most of which were reaction videos to certain events and activities. I also occasionally post other things, like mental health awareness, and how important it is to treat everyone the same. At the end of the day, no matter who we are, we all deserve the opportunity for respect and happiness. Currently I have around 25-30 thousand followers on Tiktok (@rick.reactz), while a few videos have even reached over a million views.
Even though I’ve stayed busy, I was able to meet my wife Emperatriz through mutual friends on social media. She is from Venezuela, and she made it here on a K-1 Visa in June of last year. We’ve been working to get her 15 year old son here as well in the next few months on his Green Card application, who I consider my kid as well. Currently he is playing baseball at an academy in Venezuela, but has many minor teams in the United States interested. I also have my 9 year old son, Vinnie, who I have during the week and is everything to me. He is learning a lot in STEM related activities, and has already built things such as the entire united states map in Minecraft. He also used Minecraft to learn how to create moving vehicles in game, and also learn how circuity works. We couldn’t be more proud of both kids,
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the hardest things I dealt with growing up in the 90’s was being considered different because I ‘tried to hard’ to be friends with other kids, and because of my focus on grades or involvement with electronics. I felt the need to really separate from the rest of the kids, and concentrate on meeting others online with similar interests instead. I was bullied by a lot of people in my class, and back in those days, the schools really didn’t consider it a big enough concern to warrant fixing. Early on, I made it a goal to show that I was as deserving as they are by pushing myself to succeed in life, almost like earning a feeling of normality. I always felt (and still feel) the need to be good enough at times, and I continue to feel the need to be a people pleaser. With that said, we only live once, so I really do want to make it the best I can be for myself and my family. I want to help others to realize that we are all equal and we all deserve an equal chance in this world.
I will also say that people have (and still do) judge me to this day about the decisions I make. Unfortunatally no matter what you do, you will always have people judge you. As a result, I would tell everyone that it’s important to have good relationships with reliable people when you are in a business like this, and that’s the key to success for me. I tend to try to keep the people who support me closer, as I will continue to support them and help them become the best they can be.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At NASA IV&V, I was hold in high regard in relation to finding problems within computer code and tests. I would find where something wasn’t adequately tested or find bugs in lines of software. I’m proud of being one of the champions for performing static code analysis and knowing how to work with the tools provided to review and identify problems that the developers may have missed. Back on one particular project 7 or 8 years ago, we found one piece of code that was used in multiple different projects that had an issue. I knew the developers would be really need to see concrete evidence that it wasn’t tested correctly. It turns out this piece of software wasn’t executed often, so this is why it never came out in real time. We submitted the issue it to the developers and within an hour we found out it impacted 4 different projects, and two of those were in flight. I was given an award at the following All-Hands event as a token of my appreciation for finding the problem, and being persistent in sending it to the developers. I’ve received other awards as well, but this was by far the most exciting.
I also was proud of being a part of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project for almost 10 years. Even though I might have always been working on other projects as well, I always was connected to the program and loved that my team played a vital role in ensuring the success of the project.
Finally, I think that what sets me apart is that I’m really down to earth with the people I work with, whether it be real estate or reviewing software, and I want them to see me as a leader and someone they can trust and rely on when performing their work.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
One of the biggest things we learned during the Covid-19 Crisis was that remote work is acceptable and should be allowed to continue. With that said, some people do prefer coming to work everyday. Not everyone works well remotely, but I believe a lot of people got to experience remote working, and the benefits it has. At one location I worked in, for example, they eliminated two floors where personnel were placed, and now have opted to have multiple people only work a few days a week in the office, and share office space with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@rick.reactz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rick.reacts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rick.Reacts/
