Maybe she was thrown off by this skinny, brown-skinned girl, with short hair, who despite her baby-sitter's best efforts, might come to school a bit disheveled. Perhaps my teacher looked around the kindergarten at McCosh Elementary School, 65 th and Champlain Avenue in Woodlawn, inner city Chicago, she was surprised. I can't say I know exactly what was wrong with my answer.
The teacher looked puzzled and slightly taken aback. Without hesitation, I answered emphatically, "I want to be a scientist." It was none of these.įinally the teacher called on me. They said "fireman," "police officer," "mailman," "teacher," "mother." I had my answer. I could barely hold my response inside while the teacher called on the other 5 and 6 year olds. Looking around the room I saw the magical board, with the colorful felt sun, flowers, and trees that stuck without glue and I thought, "I know the answer to that." I waved my hand excitedly, arm straight up in the air. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" (Ages 10 and older) -Emilie Coulter Excerpt. Whether working as a Peace Corps medical officer, fiercely upholding her feminist stance in a sexist college class, or dancing her "fanny off," Jemison is an inspiration to every child who dreams big. Her autobiography, sassy, confident, and witty, is full of anecdotes designed to empower young readers, even as they chuckle at her foibles and cheer her victories. From childhood, Jemison knew she would be an astronaut-the fact that space travelers tended to be white men only meant one more obstacle she would gladly face. From majoring in chemical engineering at Stanford University (at the age of 16) to giggling with hairdressers in Nairobi (in Swahili) to orbiting the Earth as the first woman of color to travel in space (conducting experiments in life and material sciences and bone cell research as the mission's science specialist), Mae Jemison has never been one to sit and watch life pass her by.
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