Women of NASA, STEM Trailblazer Bios
In my college-level computer science courses that I took just four years ago, there were three females out of about thirty students. This makes some sense, considering that while women are increasingly choosing to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), these fields have historically all been dominated by males. Any females that were involved in STEM in the past have typically been overshadowed and underappreciated due to their male counterparts. Now, brilliant women such as Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan are starting to gain recognition for the impact they made on STEM over half a century ago. The 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” which showcases the intelligence, persistence, and courage of these three African American women working for NASA during the 1960s, was an instant hit upon its release in early January and is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars coming up on Sunday, February 26th.
Mae Jemison’s childhood dreams revolved around someday being in outer space like the characters on her favorite show, Star Trek. In 1992, she fulfilled those dreams by becoming the first female African American astronaut. While working for NASA, Jemison and her team conducted experiments that helped us better understand space and how it affects humans. “Astronaut Mae Jemison” by Allison Lassieur reveals the details of Jemison’s life that led to her achieving her dream of becoming an astronaut, along with providing intriguing information about the history of space travel and Jemison’s numerous accomplishments, both with NASA and in other areas of science. 
Aprille Ericsson grew up in Brooklyn, New York where she began to consider a future career with NASA. Her path to becoming an aerospace engineer was not easy; it required a lot of dedication and hard work. She noticed that there weren’t many other African American women that pursued careers in science, but she didn’t let that deter her from her passion. “Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson” by Laura Hamilton Waxman describes Ericsson’s inspirational journey from living in a poor neighborhood as a child to becoming one of NASA’s top engineers. Readers will also be informed of Ericsson’s accomplishments in her field, which have helped scientists begin to answer some of the most complicated questions involving both outer space and our own planet, including questions having to do with black holes and global warming.
The women in “Hidden Figures” have stories that prove that no matter who you are or where you come from, your persistence and hard work will help you achieve anything you set your mind to. Whether or not the film wins an Oscar on the 26th of this month, young readers will hear this message loud and clear through Lerner’s STEM Trailblazer Series.