Pantex Blog

Pantex intern and member of the USA Deaf National Volleyball team, Brielle Worley, is headed to the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Competing at an elite level in a challenging sport such as volleyball requires a myriad of talents like high intelligence, seamless communication, and flawless teamwork. Amarillo native Brielle Worley balanced a 4.0 student career with reaching the very heights of her sport, and this summer rolled those talents into an internship in Pantex’s Project Performance Analytics Department.

Worley was recruited to the USA Deaf National Volleyball team in 2021 where she competed in her first Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The team placed fifth, leaving her hungry for another shot at gold. Three years later she went to the World Championships in Okinawa, Japan, where the Team USA earned a silver medal. Next up is the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, at the end of November.

“I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to represent the United States again and compete for a gold medal,” Brielle said. “I also enjoy having the opportunity to meet deaf people from other countries and learn about their experiences and backgrounds. I enjoy making new friends and having the opportunity to trade jerseys, jackets, and pins with athletes from other countries.”

Her family and community have been a steadfast support system for Worley throughout her volleyball career. Her mother, Pantex Process Engineering Director Kyndra Worley, has played a big part in driving her to practices, attending games, and offering words of encouragement.

“From my early days playing on various Kids, Inc. youth recreational volleyball teams to now as a collegiate athlete, my parents and my sister have consistently been there for me,” Brielle said.

It should come as no surprise that it was Brielle’s mom who encouraged her to pursue an internship at Pantex.

“Growing up, I always heard my mom talk about how amazing Pantex is and how many opportunities are available there,” Brielle said. “When I saw an opportunity to intern in the Business Services, I was excited to apply and experience a summer at the place my mom had always spoke so highly of.”

While the two didn’t work in the same location during Brielle’s internship, they were able to meet over lunch a few times. Kyndra relished the chance to have her daughter on-site and loved watching her learn about and engage in the Pantex mission that has meant so much to her over the years.

“Getting to have her home for the summer and sharing our work experiences and routines has been something I will never forget,” Kyndra said.

Brielle has truly excelled throughout her athletic and academic journey. She finished the year as the leader in kills (an offensive attack) in NCAA DIII volleyball, was an American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week, Player of the Year in her conference, and was named an NCAA All-American.

As a Pantex intern, Brielle was just as exceptional.

“Brielle is one of those people who is intelligent, high-energy, and has an ‘excellence’ mindset which was incredibly helpful,” said Justin Fox, Project Performance Analytics senior manager. “She not only questioned why things were done certain ways, but offered solutions and viewpoints that proved valuable. This allowed us to not only make improvements in our systems and training, but allowed for our staff to become better teachers and expand their vision, as well.”

Brielle’s intern project involved a deep-dive investigation of Workplace Analysis Learning Tool (WALT), a U.S. Department of Energy-sanctioned artificial intelligence program designed to analyze data and extract information to provide efficient and accurate reports, recommendations for taking corrective action, and many other beneficial functions.

“WALT is one of the first AI systems approved for use at Pantex, and I truly enjoyed getting to be part of something that can make a huge impact,” Brielle said.

Since Pantex was Brielle’s first internship, she had plenty of anxiety about how things would work with her disability, but her work team took steps such as ensuring everyone had and used their webcams so that Worley could watch for reactions and more easily read lips.

“I often refer to my disability as a ‘hidden disability,’” Brielle said. “It is something that people often don’t notice when they meet me. During this internship I learned a lot about how to best work with so many different backgrounds, upbringings, personalities, etc., and these experiences will help me when I head to Tokyo and meet people who have different styles of communication, various Deaf identities and level of involvement in the Deaf culture.”

Now that her internship is over, what’s next for Brielle?

She plans to finish out both of her undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Risk Management and Insurance by 2027. For volleyball, she plans to complete two more years of collegiate volleyball at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and wants to continue with the USA Deaf National team for potentially two more Deaflympics after Tokyo.

Brielle continues to pile on more skills, and will return to the competitive arena with an increased understanding of professionalism, diligence, and collaboration from her experience at Pantex.

“Her future is so bright and I am happy that Pantex has been a part of her journey,” Kyndra said.

Pantex intern and Deaflympics athlete, Brielle Worley, poses with her manager, Justin Fox, and her mom, Kyndra Worley.

Pantex intern and Deaflympics athlete Brielle Worley’s team won a silver medal in the Volleyball World Championships.

Thousands of dedicated Pantex citizens like Joe Papp work every day to support the Pantex mission. Take three minutes to learn about who he is, what he does, and why he is proud to be a Pantexan.

A self-described car guy and Porsche fanatic, Senior Director of Production Engineering Joe Papp once pictured a very different future for himself.

“I envisioned myself designing cars,” he said. “However, I ended up on the safety side of engineering doing safety analysis reports for both NASA and the NNSA.”

What is surely a loss to Porsche’s design team is Pantex’s gain. As senior director of Production Engineering, Papp oversees matters of great significance to the Pantex mission. Part of his role includes overseeing vital elements of design and testing procedures, and more.

“I have always been very proud to be an American,” he said.

The Pantex products Papp’s work supports gives the nation’s leaders and defenders the deterrent needed to keep us strong and free. Every Pantexan has a share in the mission, but it’s a weight to shoulder of which some, like Papp, are keenly aware.

“I oversee the process by which procedures get developed and provided to the line,” he explained. “Without procedures, we could not complete our mission.”

Papp knows both mission success and continued safety depend on full compliance with all procedures. That, in turn, requires accountability, which must start with the man in the mirror.

“At Pantex, you must follow the procedures,” he said. “Safety, security, and quality depend on it. We cannot hold others accountable if we do not hold ourselves accountable. If you make a mistake, stand up and be accountable for your actions. Your peers and managers will appreciate you more if you own your mistakes.”

More than that, though, personal accountability also enables teams to learn from mistakes to improve future performance.

“Without the person who made the mistake taking accountability, there is no way to fix the problem or keeping it from occurring again,” Papp said.

Engineers tackle some incredible challenges. In his Pantex role, Papp knows people working in tandem are the key to finding effective solutions.

“I do not think there is anything more important to being an engineer than your problem-solving skills,” he said. “It is OK to ask questions; no one knows everything.”

Holding one’s self accountable and being a strong contributor both grow out of emotional security. To that end, Papp draws on a personal experience with a former manager to make sure he, as a leader, inspires others to that level of comfort.

“When you would go to his office, you would be answering a question and, as soon as the phone rang, this manager would turn around and answer the phone — making you feel like you were not important. So, I always make sure I focus on the person.”

What advice has a team member given you that has helped you in your career at Pantex?
Under BWX Technologies, I read a management book titled “Fish!” which stated that you choose your attitude every day when you come to work. So, I have chosen to have a positive attitude every day.

What is your top bucket list item, and why?
I want to build a Porsche Spyder replica when I retire. I always wanted a real one, but will never be able to afford one, hence the replica.

What is one thing your coworkers would be surprised to know about you?
I have around 2,000 miniature Porsches I have been collecting since I was a young child.

Senior Director of Production Engineering Joe Papp dreamed of being an automotive designer, a career directly connected to his love of Porsche vehicles.