Get to know Sherri Molina: the proclaimed Popcorn Queen, who is passionate about people and STEM. Photo Credit: SDL | Allison Bills
Ask anyone at SDL, and they’ll tell you that Sherri makes SDL feel like home. Her warmth and joy spread far and wide, and she ensures that people across the Lab succeed and feel empowered. Sherri’s passion for people doesn’t only span the workplace—in her role as outreach coordinator, she specializes in bringing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to our local and broader community.
A Day on the Job
“SDL’s outreach program educates, engages, and inspires. And that is exactly what Sherri does,” said Innovation and Education Supervisor Brooke McKenna. Sherri is a natural people person and enjoys sharing the interesting engineering and science work performed by our employees. On any given day, she plans, coordinates, and executes events, gives public tours, plans outreach trainings, and works with student employees by supporting them at outreach events. “She is a perfect fit for STEM outreach,” noted Brooke.
Making a Difference
Sherri is driven by “learning something new each day,” and her passion and energy for learning are palpable. Person by person, Sherri makes a difference by educating and inspiring youth and their families, both locally and nationally. For NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission, she developed educational materials and hosts events that connect audiences to AWE science and SDL’s contributions to the mission. When asked how she hopes to make a difference in her role, Sherri said, “If I can educate and inspire one female student about the importance of being a woman in STEM, that will make all my efforts worthwhile.”
A Passion for People and Popcorn
Along with STEM outreach and her drive to learn, Sherri’s greatest joy is people. Her bachelor’s degree in human services is only a small indication of her ability to engage with, support, and lift others. Before her outreach role, Sherri worked at the front desk of SDL’s main building and created an atmosphere of positivity and belonging for visitors and employees. Her candy dish was always full, and her kind words and greetings were given liberally to everyone.
Sherri’s most rewarding and finest contribution is helping to build morale, which she does by making the Lab popcorn on Popcorn Friday. Sherri has earned her “Popcorn Queen” status by making a variety of flavors that employees crave—her fresh jalapeño popcorn is a huge hit! Popcorn Friday brings the workforce together and allows people a brief break from their lab or desk to engage with other employees. “Food is my love language; food makes people happy. When people are happy, I am happy.”
