Mae Jemison was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. Mae Jemison has one brother and one sister. Mae moved to Chicago around 3 years old. Her family made this decision because her parents thought it would be a better life for their family. She went to Westlawn elementary for grade school. The time Mae was in affected her because it was a time when blacks/African Americans and women were treated badly too. Because of this people didn’t think she could become a scientist or an astronaut. 

Mae Jemison showed a love for science and stars at an early age. She learned everything that she could about the Apollo space flights. She graduated high school at 16.  She started college at Stanford the same year studying Afro-American studies and chemical engineering. During her college at Stanford she also excelled in dance.  She graduated from Stanford in 1977. 

After college Mae had to decide whether she wanted to be a doctor or a dancer. She could have been either one. Mae would joke in her biography the decision was made by her mother. Her mother said, “you can still dance if you’re a doctor, but you can’t doctor if you’re a dancer.” She enrolled in Cornell University In 1977 to study medicine.   1981 she graduated with a doctorate in medicine. 

In 1983 Mae joined The U.S. Peace Corps working as a medical officer. During her time working there she worked in Sierra Leone, and Liberia.  These were places that had substandard medical care and were often in civil war.  In 1985 Mae came back to the United States and practiced medicine in the Los Angeles. At this time, she started studying and training to become an astronaut. 

In 1987 Mae was chosen by NASA to train to be an astronaut. The space shuttle Challenger accident occurred in 1986 which caused the death of all on board. Even knowing this Mae Jemison was determined to become an astronaut.  She even overcome her fear of heights.  

September 12 1992 she became the first African American woman to go into space. She inspired women and girls from all backgrounds to believe that if she could do it, they could too.  During this mission she spent 190 hours in space and conducted motion sickness experiments.   

In 1993 she retired from NASA and started the Jemison Group.  The Jemison Group promotes stem learning in schools encouraging young girls to study the sciences.  The Jemison Group also has the 100 Year Starship program. This program is dedicated to creating new sources of energy for traveling in space and how to create resources to survive longer in space like food, water, and oxygen. When technology for space is created, that technology will be used on earth too. 

My favorite Mae Jemison quote “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”    Mae Jemison continues to inspire a generation of women to reach for the stars.  She is a role model for African American girls and women worldwide.  I think she is a good role model for everyone. She makes me believe anything is possible.