Every week we will take a closer look at some of the women who have inspired and influenced others to pursue careers in STEM.
Mae C. Jemison
“Being first gives you a responsibility—you have a public platform, and you must choose how to use it. I use mine to help folks become more comfortable with the idea that science is integral to our world.”
-Interview with Time
Mae, born in an Alabama town in mid-October, never had imagined being the first African American women in space but always had big dreams. When she was three, her supportive parents moved to Chicago, Illinois to give Mae and her family a better education. As a regular kid, she played with dinosaurs and loved exploring. She soon discovered a passion for science and astronomy and spent a great deal of time in the school library. She entered Stanford University at the age of 16 and studied to get her degree in Chemical Engineering. Soon after she received her diploma, she studied and received her Doctor of Medicine from Cornell College. With that degree, she became an active member of the Peace Corps allowing her to give care and research diseases in other countries. When she returned to the United States, she revisited her childhood dream- to explore space. She was admitted into the Space Program and became the first female African American admitted into the space program and soon the first female African American in space. Aboard the Endeavor, she used her medical training to study the effects of weightlessness and motion sickness.
“I vowed that I would talk about my work and ask other women about theirs—the nitty-gritty details. People say you can have everything. No, you can’t. But you can have a lot more—and do a lot more—than you think.”
Accomplishments( few of the many):
- First African American female to enter space on the space shuttle Endeavor.
- Total time in space: 190 hours 30 minutes 23 seconds.
- Founded a new company that researches and develops technology for everyday life.
- Continues to advocate for the need for interstellar travel through the 100 Year Starship project.
Related literature:
Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life
Academy of Edification 