Mae Jemison is an inspiring and impactful person. Born October 17, 1956, Mae had big dreams and followed them. She had parents who supported her love of education and helped her in her school studies. In high school, she discovered her love of the sciences and astronomy and went on to study biomedical engineering at Stanford, instead of following her hobby of dancing. Later she received a degree in chemical engineering. She then aided people in the Peace Core until 1985, when she applied to be an astronaut for NASA, her original dream. Out of 2,000 people who applied, she was one of the 15 people selected. In 1986, she achieved her longtime dream of being an astronaut. She brought her love of dancing with her, and danced in space. After her historic flight, she continued on in NASA until 1993, when she took a teaching job at Dartmouth.

Mae accomplished many amazing things, but the thing that made her accomplishments so amazing, was that she was a female African American. Back then, women, let alone black women, were often not valued or given the same opportunities as men. So the fact that she was able to achieve great things, with that disadvantage, is amazing. She set a precedent for not only women and blacks, but anyone and everyone who wanted to seize their dreams. Her example inspires others to then go on and do great things which helped to shape our country's history. Two women that have followed in Jemison’s footsteps are Hillary Clinton, who has impacted our politics greatly, and Michelle Obama, who has helped youth to be healthier. These people might not have made it to where they are without Mae’s legacy. She helped advance the fields of arts, science, and space exploration. Mae also found time during college to help others in Kenya, Cuba, and people in a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand. She acted as an ambassador for our country and helped to make the world a better place.

One of the other things about Mae that I admire is that she didn’t just talk about doing big things. She started from an early age on a path to do what she dreamed of doing in life. In her youth her family moved to Chicago, Illinois for education purposes. Mae learned to delay gratification and work hard in her schoolwork, so that later she could receive a far greater reward. She inspires me to work hard and not take the easy way out, so I can be successful and serve others.

Mae has personally inspired me by persevering, and beating the odds to do what she always wanted to do. I personally want to go to business school and be a businessman. Mae’s example has reinforced my desire to do big things in life and accomplish my goals. By showing me that if you work hard, doors will open up for you. She also taught me that it is important to have dreams that also help others. So, I’ve been inspired on a day to day basis to look for ways that I can help or aid other people, and I will look for way to help others in my business career.

I highly respect Mae Jemison and how she defied the odds, worked hard for her dreams, helped to shape our nation’s history, and helped others. Her example is an inspiration to me to discover my full potential so that I can achieve my dreams, live a happy life, and help others.

By: Austin Willis 812-824-4420 Batchelor Middle School 8th Grade [email protected]