Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, is one of those rare individuals who excels at everything she does. Jemison was born in Decatur, Ala., in 1956. She was raised on the southside of Chicago. Her father, Charlie, was a maintenance worker, and her mother, Dorothy, was a schoolteacher.
The youngest of three children, it was obvious from an early age that Jemison had a huge appetite for learning. She entered Stanford University in 1973 on a scholarship at the ripe old age of 16. She earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering in 1977, while also fulfilling the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies.
Jemison graduated from Cornell University medical school in 1981. After medical school, Jemison spent two and a half years as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. When she returned to the states in 1985, she went to work as a general practitioner in Los Angeles. She also took graduate classes in engineering in hopes of fulfilling her lifelong dream of traveling in space.
In 1987, after her first application was rejected, Jemison became one of 15 astronaut candidates chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration out of 2,000 applicants.
Jemison finished her training as a NASA mission specialist in 1988. She became the first woman of color in space in 1992, when she blasted into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavor.
Her inspiration for going to NASA was Lt. Commander Uhura on the original Star Trek series. Jemison made a cameo appearance on its spin-off Star Trek: the Next Generation on episode “Second Chances” in 1993 as Lt. Palmer.
Jemison was a Science Mission Specialist, a first for NASA. While on the STS-47 space lab, she conducted experiments in life and material sciences and was involved in bone cell research. Even though she had no role models in NASA, Jemison said even as a child she was convinced she would travel in space.
But Jemison’s story didn’t stop at being an astronaut. She reinvented herself into a successful businesswoman.
In March 1993, Jemison resigned from NASA. But soon after leaving the space program, she formed The Jemison Group Inc., which focuses on the beneficial integration of science and technology into everyday life.
Among the organization’s projects are Alpha, a satellite-based telecommunications system to improve health care in West Africa, and The Earth We Share, an international science camp for students ages 12 to 16.
Jemison built the BioSentient Corporation. It is a medical technology company that develops and markets mobile equipment worn to monitor body’s vital signs and train people to respond favorably in stressful situations. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Houston, Texas. The company also trains people to respond favorably in stressful situations. The Jemison Group holds the commercial license from NASA to commercialize this new technology.
Huntsville city schools honored Dr. Mae Jemison by naming a very beautiful new high school located at 5000 Pulaski Pike in Huntsville after her. Tuesday morning, Aug. 2 2016, Dr. Jemison cut the ribbon on the new 9-12 school that will also offer students an opportunity to complete up to 60 hours of college credit while still in high school.
The new campus will offer students the opportunity to concentrate on cyber security studies and advanced manufacturing techniques using a 3-D titanium printer. This high tech school will have keycard access doors, high def security and a tornado shelter in the gym.
She wrote a book: “Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments From My Life,” which was written for teen-agers. She has presented to the United Nations on the uses of space technology.
As busy as Dr. Jemison is, she still finds time to enjoy her favorite activities: “I like to do all sorts of things! I love to read all sorts of books, like fiction, science fiction, and adventures are my favorite! I love to dance and exercise, lift weights and play volleyball. I also enjoy cooking, watching movies, listening to music, gardening and traveling!”
