Memorandum for Record

To: Fellow classmates

from: Mehida Ochoa

Subject: Mae C. Jemison

Date: January 20, 2017

Background
According tothewebsiteBiography.comDr. Jemison was born in Alabama on October
17, 1956, and raised in Chicago. She did really well in school from a young age and was able to
go to Stanford University on scholarship at the age of 16. She graduated in 1977 with a B.S. in
Chemical Engineering and a B.A. in African-American Studies. (2015) Dr. Jemison attended
medical school at Cornell University and became an MD in 1981. While in medical school, she
traveled to Cuba, Africa and Asia to help sick people. After medical school, she spent time in
the peacecorpssupervising medical staff in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1987, Dr. Jemison
fulfilled a lifelong dream of being an astronaut when she was accepted into NASAs astronaut
training program out of over 2000 applicants.

Major Contributions

Dr. Jemison at her early age made a lot of major contributions and keeps doing them now. One of
her early contributions was in 1983 when she served the peace corps as a medical officer helping
cure the volunteers serving in Liberia and Sierra Leone in which she also was part of the research
of various vaccines (Wilkins, 2016). Dr. Jemison greatest contribution was in 1992 when she
went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour and became the first African-American
woman in space. Being the first African-American woman in space was a pleasure for Dr.
Jemison because she was able to represent her race and encourage them at the same time to
follow their dreams without giving up. Lastly another major contribution from Dr. Jemison was
the foundation of The Earth We Share (TEWS), an international science camp that encourages
scientist literacy of all (Wilkins,2016).

Why I choose this person

IchooseDr.JemisonbecauseshewasthefirstAfricanAmericanwomantotravelinto
spacebecomingarolemodelnotonlytowomeningeneralbuttoAfricanAmericansaswellby
showingthemthatispossibletoaccomplishyourdreamsdespiteanythingifyoukeepontrying
withoutgivingup.InmyownopinionIfeellikeitsapleasuretobethefirstoneon
accomplishingsomethingasimportantastravelingintospaceandyetkeepmakingchangesin
theworldlikeDr.Jamisondidntjuststopthereshekeptongoing.
 References

Biography.com(2016,September30).MaeC.JemisonBiography.Retrievedfrom
http://www.biography.com/people/maecjemison9542378#synopsis

Wilkins,C.(2016,March3).Energy.Gov.fivefactsaboutAstronautMaeJemison.Retrieved
fromhttps://energy.gov/articles/fivefastfactsaboutastronautmaejemison