Today, NIU students and the members of CAB welcome Mae C. Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut.

Jemison will speak to NIU students about her career as one of the leading space scientists of the 21st century. The program is scheduled to take place at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Tenesha Smith, a junior Spanish business translation major, said getting the chance to meet Jemison is going to be a wonderful experience for those who’ve only read about her in history books.

“I see her picture in one of my textbooks and I’m thinking ‘Man, I want to be like that someday,'” Smith said. “Maybe not the first black female in space, but I do want to leave a mark in society that says I’ve been here and I’ve made a worthwhile contribution.”

Jemison was born the youngest of three children in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Morgan Park High School in Chicago. While in college, Jemison maintained a high grade point average, and obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University in 1977. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies.

Jemison served in the Peace Corps from January 1983 to June 1985. Through this world-renowned organization, Jemison served as a medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, West Africa. She provided medical care, wrote self-care manuals and implemented guidelines for health and safety issues. She also has worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on research for various vaccines.

Upon leaving the Peace Corps, Jemison worked with the CIGNA Health Plans of Los Angeles, Calif., as a general practitioner. She attended graduate classes in engineering and applied to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Although her first application was not accepted, Jemison was determined to get into the highly prestigious program. After reviewing her second application, NASA accepted Jemison out of the 2,000 candidates who had been reviewed.

After successfully completing her astronaut training program, Jemison became the fifth black astronaut and the first black female astronaut in NASA history. In 1992, Spacelab J, a Japanese and U.S. science mission, garnered Jemison as the first black woman in space.

Jemison is outspoken about the technological advances in accordance to the black population and encourages African-Americans to pursue science and engineering careers. She is based in NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

Carl Sullivan, a freshman psychology major, thinks that meeting Jemison is a rare opportunity and encourages NIU students to attend.

“How often do you get to meet someone of her status?” Sullivan asked. “Dr. Jemison has made a significant impact in black history and I think we owe it to her and others who have paved the way for young people like myself. I think she is a great motivation to everyone.”