Dr. Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman to go to space, reads new book to students in Passaic, New Jersey
PASSAIC, N.J. -- Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go to space, was at a New Jersey school Wednesday inspiring students with her new bilingual book.
The former astronaut read "Everyone Is A Scientist" to students at a Passaic school named after her -- Ellen Ochoa School No. 22.
"I wrote this book because I certainly didn't ever picture myself as a scientist when I was little," said Ochoa, a former astronaut and Johnson Space director.
A student dressed in a lab coat reading the book in Spanish sat next to Dr. Ochoa -- the first Latina to go into space and who served a nine-day mission on board the Space Shuttle Discovery.
"My grandparents are long gone, but I am sure they could hardly have imagined that they would have a granddaughter that would go to space," Dr. Ochoa said.
She said her grandparents brought her dad and his siblings to the U.S. from Mexico for a better life. Her message to students: Anyone can be a scientist.
"When I was these kids' age, women weren't allowed to be astronauts. There were very few in general. There hadn't been any astronauts of color. And I saw all that change certainly in my lifetime," Dr. Ochoa said.
"Dr. Ellen Ochoa is a super inspirational woman. I learned today that no dream is ever too big," student Jezabel Fernandez said.
"It felt good seeing her in person reading the actual book that she wrote her own self," said 9-year-old Yamileth Santos.
"It is representative of our diverse community of children with different abilities, different backgrounds with an amazing message -- we're all scientists," Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said.
High School senior Angel Rodriguez earned an associate's degree while in high school and is heading to Boston University. CBS2 asked him if he ever thought of being an astronaut.
He responded, "Of course. I want to work with rocket ships anyways, so I am going for mechanical and aerospace engineering."
Gabriel Casilla, 11, is not looking at the sciences, but said Dr. Ochoa made him want to dream big.
"I want to become an animator that makes famous movies like 'Toy Story,'" Casilla said.
Dr. Ochoa's bilingual book is the first in a series of five. The mayor said he plans on making the book part of the school's curriculum.
