Meet Kevin J DeBruin

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin J DeBruin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kevin J, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I was first inspired about space exploration by watching the movie October Sky as a child. That is what drove me to want to work for NASA, but little did I know that NASA was not my purpose. It wasn’t until my 5th grade teacher Ms. Rogers asked me to come back and speak to her class about what I did at NASA that I learned what purpose really meant. I was only a NASA intern at the time, but Ms. Rogers wanted me to talk to her students about my work there. I never really spoke to kids or described what I did in a presentation format, but I was excited for the challenge. Talking to those kids changed me, it gave me a feeling I never felt before – inspiration, awe, it was sublime. I thought it was a one-time thing and I was grateful for it. I eventually got my full-time job at NASA JPL and was again asked to speak to kids, but this time by my landlord to a Boy Scout Troop. Being an Eagle Scout myself, I jumped at the chance. The feeling came back again. I then became the most active member of the JPL Speaker Bureau. I was doing public outreach 2-3 times a week. I was doing it at night, over lunch, the weekend, and heck I even had to take vacation time to do some of it. I was working full-time and doing as much teaching about space exploration as I could. Only when I discovered the joy of consistent space teaching, was it then that I found my passion – to educate and inspire as many people as possible about the wonders of space exploration and it’s importance to us here on Earth.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I fell in love with teaching about space exploration and it’s importance to us here on Earth that I decided to quit my job at NASA. Yup, I left NASA and started my own space education and consulting company, known as Space Class. I provide project-based learning about outer space & STEM to schools and youth organizations in the form of educational videos and activity kits (Space Class Box) as well as visits from scientists, engineers, and astronauts.

The core product of Space Class is 10 online videos paired with a hands-on activity. Watch a video about rockets and then build & launch your own rocket! Everything a student needs for the activities is right in the box from scissors to crayons to tape. The Space Class videos are most appropriate for grades 4-8, but K-3 have thoroughly enjoyed the Space Class Box activities.

What I call our Signature Event is where we bring professionals into the classrooms to meet, engage, and educate the kids. We also provide our book STEM PROs at cost, which is a collection of career and life advice from 60+ professionals across all areas of S.T.E.A.M. collected in a Q&A format. We also host a telescope night for the school and invite families to join.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I get asked a lot about my time as NASA this question: What is something you wish you did differently when you first started working? I don’t think I really have anything here because I was pretty proactive. It was something I did in my early days working my first “big boy” job at NASA JPL. Each of the more senior colleagues I encountered that I felt I vibed with, I would ask “If you could go back to when you first started working here (or the job you first had), what do you wish you did?” I got things like “leave your work phone at work”, “don’t put work email on your personal phone”, “say ‘no’ more”, “don’t work on weekends, even in the beginning, because it’ll set a precedent that’s hard to escape.”

I implemented that well at NASA, but I also began to realize that the 9-5 office life wasn’t for me. So I had to look deep inside myself to see what I really wanted to do and ignore the status quo of “you have a great job”, “just be happy with where you are”, or “other people would kill for what you have.”

Now my life as an entrepreneur doesn’t much have an off-button, but that’s okay because I like it. I do try to take weekends off, but when there’s work to do, I gotta do it. Sometimes it’s 16-hrs days, sometimes is zero hours days. I firmly believe that I would rather work eyes-open to eyes-closed for myself than a 9-5 for someone else.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl has had the most profound impact on my life. If you’re unfamiliar it is a psychologist that made it through the Nazi concentration camps and recounts his experiences. I first read it in 2015 as I was just getting into personal development. I just finished reading that book and then I got into a car accident. Immediately after the accident and the weeks following, I exhibited no anger or frustration, just gratitude. My mindset was “no one got hurt, everyone is okay”, “I’m grateful I had the ability to purchase a car and insurance to aid me in times like this”, and “in the grand scheme of things, this is a little obstacle and I can figure it all out.” I attribute my resilient attitude about the accident to Man’s Search for Meaning. It literally rewired my brain to feel better about all of life’s happenings. It’s happening for me, not to me. The through-line from Man’s Search for Meaning is “any many with a good enough WHY can bear almost any HOW”. Basically the book helped put things in perspective a bit more for me. I read it every couple of years as a nice refresher and reminder.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kevinjdebruin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinjdebruin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevinjdebruinNASA
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindebruin2589/
• Other: https://www.VirtualSpaceClass.com