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Print this resourceRosie Riveters’ program participants, ranging in age from five to 14, got the amazing opportunity to hear from and ask questions of former NASA astronaut and director of the Johnson Space Center, Ellen Ochoa. Dr Ochoa shared all kinds of amazing insights with our participants. Ranging from how astronauts exercise in space to why they don’t eat astronaut ice cream!
Born and raised in southern California, Dr Ellen Ochoa excelled in multiple subjects like music, business, math, journalism, computer science. It took Ochoa multiple tries to be accepted to NASA’s astronaut training program; when she finally boarded the space shuttle Discovery in 1993, she made history as the world’s first Latina astronaut!!
This was just the beginning of a long career at NASA; in 2012 Ochoa became the first person of Latin American descent to serve as Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and the second woman to ever hold the title. In addition to her ground-breaking career, Ochoa continued to devote herself to music – one of the most famous images of her shows her playing her flute while she was on board Discovery.
We could not be more excited to share our Rosie Talks interview with this incredible woman. Check out more Dr Ellen Ochoa themed lessons and activities like our Ellen Ochoa Halloween Costume and DIY flute project and our Rosie Reads The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars reading guide and projects.
A big thank you to the AstraFemina organization for their work in connecting children with amazing STEM role models!
