Dr Ellen Ochoa, a Mexican-American scientist with a PhD in electrical engineering, was the first Latina in space. Twenty-four years later, on May 19 2017, having already been awarded NASA’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, she’ll be inducted into the USA Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Dr Ochoa was raised by her single mother and four siblings. Her parents faced intense racism while they were growing up in Arizona, USA. Her father Joseph “felt the sting of rampant discrimination against Hispanics, for example Hispanics were only allowed to use the public pool the day before cleaning because it was felt they dirtied the pool.”

Despite this her family was resilient. Dr Ochoa’s mother Roseanne inspired her daughter’s love of learning, having completed her own education two decades after she stopped due to family commitments.

Dr Ochoa says of her upcoming recognition: “I’m honoured to be recognised among generations of astronauts who were at the forefront of exploring our universe for the benefit of humankind. I hope to continue to inspire our nation’s youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, so they, too, may reach for the stars.”

In an earlier interview for a Latin students’ paper, Dr Ochoa emphasises a love for mathematics, her bilingualism and interests in music as assets to her joining the space program. She has been Director of the Johnson Space Centre since 2013.

Advice to Latin youth

Dr Ochoa gives the following advice:

“We need your minds. We need your creativity… Look at the demographics of our country. They are changing … we have to involve the people in our country. And increasingly, of course, that is people of some kind of Latino or Hispanic heritage.”

What advice would you give to someone who was considering entering the space industry or other STEM field?

It’s a very interesting and challenging field! It’s important to study math and science throughout high school and college, and major in some technical area. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that colleges provide, including professor office hours, tutoring, student chapters of organizations like Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and Society of Physics Students (SPS), and project-based hands-on classes. There are so many more ways to contribute at the undergraduate level than there used to be, including a number of NASA challenges and paid internships. (Source)

Advice for Latinas/Latinos who may want to pursue a career in STEM? Your accomplishments are remarkable, if one of our students said to you she wanted to go to space when she grows up, what steps would you tell her to take to ensure she gets to do so?

Go to college and major in a STEM field — any type of engineering, science, or even medicine since NASA selects medical doctors as astronauts. NASA also looks for people who progress more rapidly than normal in their careers, and who have both teamwork and leadership skills. Even younger students can work on teamwork skills through activities like sports, music, dance, etc. NASA also looks for operational experience, for example as a pilot or in other situations that require a variety of skills and qualities like resilience, for example working in a remote area such as Antarctica. (Source)

Are you aware of any organizations/ resources for young people interested in a career in the STEM field and even Space, specifically if they come from low-income homes? 

NASA offers internships to college students, https://intern.nasa.gov/, and also provides activities and STEM information for younger students on their Office of STEM Engagement website https://www.nasa.gov/stem/about.html. (Source)

Read more of her advice to Latin youth.

Learn More

Learn about Dr Ochoa’s family and see photos of her growing up. 

Read the children’s book on Dr Ochoa, Hispanic Star: Ellen Ochoa.

Note

This post was updated on 21 February 2025 with additional quotes from Dr Ochoa