Mae Jemison, First African-American Woman in Space

Growing up in the southside of Chicago, Mae Jemison was always curious about space. After graduating from Stanford University, she became a medical doctor and worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps medical officer. In 1983, she applied to the NASA program, after being inspired by Sally Ride, the first woman in space, and Nichelle Nichols, an actress in Star Trek. At NASA, she became the first female African American to become an astronaut and go into space. After NASA, she began teaching at top universities including Dartmouth College and Cornell University and founded research groups to continue the development of scientific knowledge. She is a doctor, a dancer, an astronaut and holds nine doctorate degrees in the humanities, science and engineering.