Mae Jemison: Reaching for the Stars

Lexile: 750 | Grade: 4

Passage

Mae Jemison always looked up. As a child, she loved learning about space, stars, and science. She also enjoyed dancing and acting, but her biggest dream was to become an astronaut.

Mae was born in 1956 in Alabama and grew up in Chicago. She was a curious and hardworking student. Sometimes, people didn’t take her seriously because she was a girl who liked science. But that didn’t stop her.

She studied chemical engineering and later became a doctor. She even worked as a medical officer in West Africa before joining NASA.

In 1992, Mae Jemison made history as the first Black woman to travel to space. She spent eight days aboard the space shuttle *Endeavour*, conducting science experiments in space.

After retiring from NASA, Mae continued to inspire others. She started a science camp for students and spoke around the world about chasing your dreams—no matter how big they are.

Mae Jemison showed that with courage, curiosity, and hard work, you can reach the stars—literally.