As black history month comes to an end, I felt it is necessary to celebrate the life and work of
Katherine Johnson, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 101. She was an early
employee of NASA and an African American woman working in a field hugely dominated by
men. Her calculations with the Apollo program brought humans to the moon for the first time and were critical in getting the lunar lander to meet back up with the command module in orbit around the moon. Before retiring in 1986, she worked on the space shuttle program, as well as satellites. Today, NASA’s Langley campus houses a computational research building bearing her name.
Until Hollywood shared the story of her and her colleagues, her work was rarely acknowledged. Today, we must build on Mrs. Johnson’s legacy of academic excellence, a commitment to STEM, and share the success stories loudly. My daughter always asks, “why is math so important?” My response is, "It can create 'one giant leap for mankind.'” She snaps that should be “one giant leap for humankind.” I reply, “You’re are 100% right kiddo, and it requires a lot of hard work.”
I am so thankful for Mrs. Katherine Johnson for her pioneering spirit that is leading future
generations of women to pursue non-traditional educational and career paths that change the world and lead to giant leaps for humankind. At MaxxContent, we stand ready with publisher partners to provide world-class solutions that inspire and encourage users worldwide to embrace continuous learning and self-improvement.
EPIC Girl is a nonprofit organization originally created in partnership with the Davidson County Juvenile Court that provides educational programs, mentoring and access to community activities to teen girls in Davidson County. EPIC Girl’s Family Intervention Team or FIT Program is a capacity building program serving adolescent girls ages 12-18 who have had multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that place them at risk for exploitation, substance abuse, truancy and the likelihood of chronic health conditions and continued economic hardship. EPIC Girl’s work intersects with the 2Gen strategy by offering child-focused services along with interventions for parents to ensure family success.
See how EPIC Girl is having a positive impact on children and families using a 2Gen Approach by viewing the video.