Mae Jemison

For Mae Jemison being fearless meant venturing to a place that few men and only one woman had gone before—outer space. On June 4, 1987 Jemison was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut, making her the first African American woman to do so.


Being fearless meant attending Stanford University at the tender age of 16. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and later earning a doctorate degree in medicine from Cornell University.

Being fearless meant following her dream despite the racial and gender barriers in the science and engineering field. Dr. Jemison was the science mission specialist, investigating how space flight causes changes in bone cell function.

Though Jemison retired from NASA in 1993. She understood that being fearless also meant guiding the next generation of doctors, scientists, and engineers. In 1992 she established the Mae C. Jemison Academy in Detroit, Michigan.