The first reason why I believe Sally Ride is one of the greatest heroes is because she proved that men weren't the only ones who were capable to travel to space, which lead to more women traveling to space. After Ride went to space, she became an inspiration for everyone across America. She also wrote a children's book about her experience in space, that way, kids could still learn about Sally Ride’s experience in space by reading her book. (Sally Ride) Barack Obama, the President of the United States, said, “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.” (Borenstein) Although, Sally Ride wasn't the first woman in space, she still showed Americans that women …show more content…
can travel to space. Not only was Sally Ride known as the 1st American Woman in space, but, she used her career to help motivate young kids, after she stopped working with NASA.
Sally Ride is a great hero because she motivated students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
During her time at Stanford and the University of California, she taught kids about science, technology, engineering, and math. (Borenstein) Her former husband, Steve Harley, said, “"While she never enjoyed being a celebrity, she recognized that it gave her the opportunity to encourage children, particularly young girls, to reach their full potential.” (Dunn) Charles Bolden, a NASA coordinator and former astronaut, said Sally Ride "broke barriers with grace and professionalism--and literally changed the face of America's space program." (Borenstein) Sally Ride is still a hero because she encourages children all over America and they still look up to
her.
The last reason why I think Sally Ride is the greatest hero is because she still inspires people after all the years that she worked with NASA. She is an inspiration for everyone for going to space. Maria Zuber, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said, “She decided to devote her life to education and to inspiring young people. To me, that's such a powerful thing. It's extraordinarily admirable.” (Borenstein) She was an inspiration because she showed others that they could do something that would surprise others. Sally Ride is still an inspiration today, because she did astonishing things that no one would expect from a woman.
Sally Ride is a great American hero because she devoted her life to help others after going to space. She was one of America’s greatest leaders, teachers, and explorer. Sally Ride acted as a powerful role model for others and a numerous amount of people recognize her as the 1st American Woman in Space. Not only did this accomplishment affect her life, but it affected the lives of every American.