Written by Sarah Canarelli
“Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.” -Mae Jemison
In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing the story of Mae Jemison, a truly inspirational African American scientist.
Mae Jemison was born on October 17th, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. Even as a young girl, Jemison showed an interest in science and space. Her scientific curiosity was always encouraged and supported by her parents. After finishing high school at the age of 16, Jemison attended Stanford University where she pursued degrees in Chemical Engineering and African & African-American studies. It could not have been easy attending college at such a young age, but Jemison persevered and graduated from Stanford with a B.S. and B.A. in 1977. She continued her education at Cornell Medical School, where she earned her M.D. in 1981. Jemison worked as a general practitioner and a medical officer of the Peace Corps for several years, but ultimately decided to chase one of her childhood dreams. Inspired by astronauts Sally Ride (the first American woman to go to space) and Guion Bluford (the first African American to go to space), Mae Jemison applied to the NASA astronaut program. Though there were some delays in the process, aboard the space shuttle Endeavor in 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space. Though Jemison ended her NASA career after returning from space, that is not the end of her story. In the years after her return, Jemison founded a consulting firm, started a number of foundations, served as a member of many scientific organizations and taught as a professor at Dartmouth College and Cornell University. In all of these capacities, Jemison has been an advocate in favor of science literacy and education and to this day she continues to lead initiatives aimed to address the lack of diversity in STEM fields. Let Mae Jemison's story inspire you to reach for the stars!
All information in this post came from the links below, check them out to learn more about Mae Jemison's story and life's work!
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