Celebrating Black History Month with Girl Scout Alums in STEM and the U.S. Military

Continuing my tribute to amazing Black Girl Scout alums in celebration of Black History Month, today I want to focus on Girl Scouts who have made a real impact in STEM and the U.S. military.

A lifetime member of Girl Scouts, Mae Jemison is the first African American female astronaut to travel to space. She developed a love of science as a young girl, graduated from high school early, and went on to Stanford University at the age of 16! She completed medical school, joined the Peace Corps as a doctor in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and was accepted to NASA’s space program in 1987. She flew her only mission on STS-47, in September 1992 in a joint mission between the United States and Japan. After leaving NASA in 1992 she started Jemison Group Inc., a consulting firm that researches, markets, and develops science and technology for daily life. A fun fact: Mae’s first love was dance, and she actually built a dance studio in her home and has put together several shows of modern jazz and African dance!

Yvonne Cagle is a shining example of a go-getting Girl Scout. An astronaut, flight surgeon, and space development expert, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, a doctor of medicine degree, a certificate in aerospace medicine, a certificate as a senior aviation medical examiner from the Federal Aviation Administration, the rank of colonel in the United States Air Force, and entry into the NASA Astronaut Class of 1996. In 2014 she was awarded an honorary Ph.D. by Fordham University for her substantial and significant contributions to the fields of science, technology, and human health.

As the first African American woman to hold the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, Lillian E. Fishburne is a true pioneer. Born into a naval family and the daughter of an active duty officer, she earned a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications Systems Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1982 and was a 1993 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Over the course of her incredible career she has served in posts from New Jersey to Illinois to Japan, Key West, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.

Michelle J. Howard is a trailblazing retired United States Navy four-star admiral who broke through a number of barriers in her career. She was the first African American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship and the first to achieve two- and three-star rank. She was also the first woman to become a U.S. Navy four-star admiral and the first African American and the first woman to hold the post of Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Michelle attributes many of the values that helped her succeed to her time in Girl Scouting. “For me, Girl Scouts was about friendship and learning—mostly learning about ourselves and that we could do anything if we worked as a team," she says.

All of these women truly reflect the power of a Girl Scout. They broke barriers and changed perceptions about what women can accomplish when they follow their passions, persist through adversity, and embrace their ambitions.