The year is 1992 and in just ten seconds history will be made. It will be the first time an African American woman has ventured into space. The woman in question was the youngest of three children, the daughter of Charlie and Dorothy Jemison. Her passion for space travel began at a young age, and the television series Star Trek only fueled her desire. With just ten seconds left, Mae C. Jemsion will achieve her big goal of going into space.

A Woman of Many Talents
Mae C. Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama, and grew up in the Woodlawn and Morgan Park neighborhoods. Although Jemison had a keen interest in space travel as a young child, before she became an astronaut, she was interested in something else: dance. From a young age (about eight to nine), she learned ballet. The young astronaut attended Morgan Park High School at age twelve and joined her school’s cheerleading and modern dance club. She studied many styles of dance, including African, Japanese, ballet and jazz, to name a few. By the time she was 16, Jemison was attending college and was extremely talented both academically and dance-wise!

In addition to her dance and academic pursuits, Jemison worked as a medical assistant. Dr. Jemison served in the Peace Corps after receiving her medical degree from Cornell Medical School. She was responsible for the health of Peace Corps volunteers in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Jemison also helped the Center for Disease Control with vaccines!

“Never limit yourself because of the limited imagination of others; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” – Mae C. Jemison.