Sally Ride: An Influential Role Model

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Dr. Sally Ride is an icon that many women have looked up to, especially female astronauts. Sally Ride was the first American woman to take flight in a spacecraft, be a part of the NASA space program, advocate for women in the field of science and wrote her own books. So with these wonderful accomplishments, what led Sally Ride to become an influential role model? Well, Ride was born on May 26th, 1951 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Dale Burdell Ride, a political science professor, and Carol Joyce Ride, a psychology counselor. From a very young age, Ride had shown great skill and talent in both tennis and her academics. With her parents’ encouragement, she worked hard and earned a tennis scholarship to Westlake High School for Girls. …show more content…

The Sally Ride Science program is based in San Diego, California and is also partnered with the University of California at San Diego. Well after Ride’s passing, this company has thrived to help encourage and educate the generation of tomorrow. The Sally Ride Science website states that, “The goal is to help educators build students’ STEM literacy and make connections between what students are learning and the STEM fields that are expected to experience rapid job growth in the coming decades” (Sally Ride Science). In addition to the main program, the Sally Ride Science Junior Academy was launched in 2016 to help middle and high school students participate in STEAM organizations and activities throughout the San Diego area. Sally Ride’s influence not only helped to benefitted these student, but she helped to break down a barrier for women everywhere. In a USA Today article written by Mary Marklein, “Since her historic mission, 55 women have flown in space with NASA” (Marklein). Thanks to Ride making history as the first woman to lift off into space, she opened the door many other women to do the same. Not only that, but she set the standard for future generations of female teachers, physicists and

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