September 15th through October 15th is Latinx Heritage Month, and to celebrate today we are highlighting a Latina starblazer, Ellen Ochoa! Dr. Ochoa was the first Latina to go to space, the first Latinx director of the Johnson Space Center, and the second woman to direct the Johnson Space Center. Read on to learn more about her journey!
Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10th, 1958 in Los Angeles, California to first-generation Mexican-American parents. She grew up in El Cajon, California, and attended San Diego State University as a first-generation college student, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in physics in 1980. Dr. Ochoa then went on to get a master’s of science in physics from Stanford University in 1981 and a doctorate in physics from Stanford University in 1985.
While working towards obtaining her doctorate, Dr. Ochoa investigated optical systems for performing information processing and continued that research post-graduation at the NASA Ames Research Center. Dr. Ochoa eventually went on to become the Chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch at Ames, supervising a team of scientists and engineers as they developed systems for aerospace missions.
In 1985 Dr. Ochoa applied to the NASA Astronaut program to be considered for the astronaut class of 1987. Dr. Ochoa did not make it into that class but kept at it, keeping her application updated while obtaining her pilot’s license. She was re-invited to interview to join the astronaut program and was ultimately selected to be part of the 1990 class. She became an astronaut in 1991.
In 1993 Dr. Ochoa completed a nine-day spaceflight mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, making her the first Latina to go to space. Throughout her career, Dr. Ochoa spent over 41 days in space total, nearly 1000 total hours. She retired from being an astronaut in 2007 and continued to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where in 2013 she became the first Latinx director and second woman director of the center.
Dr. Ochoa has made a lasting impact on the STEM field in her time with NASA. Several schools and STEM programs aimed at young children have been named after her. She has won several awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Exceptional Service Medal, the Outstanding Leadership Medal, and several Space Flight medals, all of which were awarded to her by NASA. She has also been inducted into the United States Astronauts Hall of Fame in 2017 and the International Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2018. Additionally, Dr. Ochoa was recognized in the magazine Hispanic Executive’s 2017 Best of the Boardroom issue for her work as the Director of the Johnson Space Center.
If you’re interested in a career in the STEM field, or have questions/concerns about being Latinx in the workplace, schedule an appointment with one of our Career Coaches, or visit our Latinx Affinity Community page for more information and resources!
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of NASA – https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/ellen_ochoa_bio_1536x2048.jpg
