Susan Davis: “Today I would like to celebrate the beginning of Women's History Month by recognizing a woman from my home State of…”

“Today I would like to celebrate the beginning of Women's History Month by recognizing a woman from my home State of California, Sally Ride. Sally Ride personifies the Californian and American spirit of exploration and discovery. In 1983, she became both the first woman and the youngest astronaut NASA has ever sent into space. Over the course of her distinguished career, Ride logged a total of nearly 350 hours in space, and she went on to serve on the committees that investigated the Challenger and the Columbia shuttle disasters. After leaving NASA, she cofounded Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego, which develops educational programs to inspire middle and high school students, especially girls, about science. Sally Ride had a passion for science and space exploration that inspired generations of girls to pursue STEM. I had a chance to meet her and see how everyone reacted to her. She is exactly the kind of woman we should honor this month, one who achieved her own dreams and paved the way for others to do the same. ____________________”