Mae Jemison (1956 鈥� Present) Jemison made history as the first African American woman to travel in space. Her journey aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992 broke barriers and inspired generations of individuals, especially women and people of color, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
鈥� Mae Carol Jemison was born on Oct.17, 1956, in Decatur, Ala., but was raised in Chicago. She was the youngest to three children born to Charlie Jemison and Dorothy Green. Her mother was an elementary school teacher, and her father was a maintenance supervisor.
鈥� In 1973, Jemison graduated from Morgan Park High School when she was 16 years old and immediately left Chicago to attend Stanford University in California. She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in Chemical Engineering in 1977, she applied her knowledge and academic excellence to medical school and to becoming a physician.
鈥� Jemison made the decision to apply to NASA’s astronaut program following Sally Ride’s 1983 accomplishment as the country’s first female astronaut. She applied in 1985, but NASA stopped taking applications after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986. Nevertheless, Jemison reapplied in 1987 and was selected as one of fifteen candidates from a pool of more than 2,000.
鈥� Jemison is a passionate advocate for STEM education. She has dedicated her post-NASA career to promoting science literacy and encouraging young people to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Through her various initiatives and organizations, she has worked tirelessly to improve STEM education in schools, particularly in underserved communities.
鈥� She founded the Jemison Group, a technology consulting firm that explores and develops advanced technologies for everyday life.
