By Kyleen Vo, GGMP Mentor
Photo from Wikipedia.org
This week’s spotlight is on Mae C. Jemison, the first African American woman to go to space! Growing up in Chicago, Jemison used to watch Apollo airings on TV and was upset when she noticed that there were no female astronauts. After being inspired by African American actress Nichelle Nichols, Jemison decided that one day she would go to space. After pursuing a career in medicine, she decided to apply to NASA’s astronaut program and was one out of fifteen accepted out of over two thousand applicants. On September 12, 1992, Jemison flew into space with the shuttle endeavor, making her the first African American woman in space. After serving as an astronaut for six years, Jemison left NASA to start her own research and technology group. Mae C. Jemison is an inspiration to all, serving as an example that barriers are made to be broken and that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Photo Cred: Flickr.com, NASA