Mae Jemison was born on October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. However, she spent most of her life in Chicago and considers it her true home. She credits her parents’ encouragement of education and exploration at an early age with influencing her career in science. Jemison graduated from Morgan Park High School in Chicago, Illinois in 1973. In 1977, she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Standard University. Furthermore, Jemison received her doctorate degree in medicine from Cornell University in 1983. Afterwards, she served as a Peace Corps medical officer for two years, working in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Two people inspired Jemison to apply for NASA. The first was Sally Ride, the first woman in space. The second was Lieutenant Uhura, the fictional African American female crew member in Star Trek. In September 1992, Jemison was sent as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavor. She became the first African American woman in space. Every since then, she has been speaking and encouraging children to pursue careers in science.
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Mae Jemison |
