Her Birth
Mae C. Jamison was born in on October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. She was the youngest child to Charlie Jemison and Dorothy Green. Her father was a maintenance supervisor for a charity and her mother was a elementary teacher. When Mae Jemison was three years old when her parents moved to Chicago, Illinois so there kids can get a better education. At a very young age Mae Jemison expressed an interest in science and astronomy. In elementary she was asked what she wanted to be she said she wanted to be a scientist.
Her Childhood Throughout her school years her parents supported her even when people thought she could never become a scientist because she was an African American.. In high school Mae Jemison participated in extra-curricular activities like dance, art, and archeology. She loved reading science fiction and astronomy books. During her time in high school she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a scientist so she decided to study biomedical engineering..
Young Adult Mae Jemison was a dedicated student and at the age of 16 she was able to go to Stanford University on a scholarship. As she had done in high school, Jemison was very involved in extracurricular activities. Which included danced, theatre production and served as president of the Black Student Union. In 1977 she received a B.S in Chemical Engineering and a B.A in Afro-American Studies. She then attended medical school at Cornell University graduated in 1981 and became a doctor in 1982
Contributions to History Dr, Mae Jemison practiced medicine as a volunteer in a Cambodian refugee camp and as a medical officer with the Peace Corp in West Africa. When she returned to the United States Dr. Mae Jemison worked as a general practitioner at Cigna Hospital in Los Angeles, California. On June 4,1987 Jamison was selected for the astronaut program for NASA. Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African American astronaut with the title of Science Mission