Ellen
Ochoa
Astronaut, physicist, inventor
Born:
Los Angeles, California
Encouraged
by her mother to excel academically, Ellen Ochoa earned degrees
in physics and electrical engineering, and achieved recognition
as a three-time patent holder for optical devices. In 1993,
she became the first Hispanic female astronaut.
In
our household there was a big emphasis on education. My mom
expected us to work hard and do well. After we were born, she
went to college for about 20 years, taking one class at a time,
and graduating a couple of years after I did.
Ochoa
echoed her mother's drive to succeed, excelling in both academics
and music. After declaring her college major in physics, she
had summer jobs at Los Alamos National Lab. She pursued a doctorate
at Stanford, where she developed the first of her three patents.
In 1987, Ochoa learned she was among the 100 top candidates
for the astronaut training program, but it wasn't until 1991
that she became a full-fledged NASA astronaut. Ochoa reached
outer space on April 8, 1993, as a mission specialist aboard
the orbiter Discovery. There, she raised an historic
women's suffrage banner to honor those who had long fought
for equal rights.
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