Join us on February 11th as we honor Mae Jemison during our Sunday Celebration announcements!
Mae Jemison (1956) is a physician and engineer. During her time as a mission specialist with NASA, she became the first African American woman to travel into space in 1992 while aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Her aspirations to study science and to one day visit space, developed as young as 6 years old when her only tangible inspiration was a fictional African American female Lieutenant on the show Star Trek. Although her parents were very supportive of her dreams, Mae recalls the frustration with not receiving that same support from her teachers who assumed that Mae actually wanted to be a nurse because there were very few female astronauts.
Jemison is celebrated for her perseverance with pursuing higher education, starting at 16, at Stanford University (BA, BS) and later Cornell University (MD). Often a minority in her classes, she faced discrimination. Through the difficulties, she rose to lead the Black Students Union while at Stanford. In 1983, she joined the staff of the Peace Corps in a medical leadership role that took her aboard to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Once she returned to the United States in 1985, Mae Jemison finally applied to NASAs astronaut program. Jemison is a shining display of following a dream, despite any limitations, discrimination or even having any tangible examples. Her faith and dedication continue to inspire those with a dream and is staple in history.
