Hispanic Heritage Month History Makers Series: Ellen Ochoa

Happy fifth week of Hispanic Heritage Month ! This week we will be highlighting astronaut, engineer, and NASA leader, Ellen Ochoa.

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10th, 1958 in Los Angeles, California. Ochoa was raised in La Mesa California, as a middle child with five siblings. Both of her parents did not attend college, but Ochoa was determined to pursue higher education as a first-generation student. 

College is what first sparked Ochoa’s interest in science. As an undergraduate student at San Diego University she studied physics and graduated in 1980. She went on to further her studies by earning a Master of Science in 1981c as well as a doctorate from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University in 1985. Her academic career solidified her interest in math and physics, and would set up the foundation for her career within NASA. After graduating with her doctoral degree she would go on to work at the Sandia National Labs and then at the Ames Research Center at NASA where she created multiple patents.

In 1990 Ochoa was chosen by NASA to be in a new class of astronauts, which led to her becoming an astronaut in 1991. In 1993 Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to fly into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery. She went on four trips into space and played a key role on these trips as a flight engineer, mission specialist, and the Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. 

In 2007 she retired from being an astronaut and went on to serve as NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Ochoa is the second woman to serve as the director for the Johnson Space Center. She is actively involved within the science and technology field, as she currently serves as the chair for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Ochoa was also honored in 2024 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden for her contributions as an engineer, astronaut, and NASA leader.

Ellen Ochoa is a pioneer in every right. She defied odds and broke barriers by becoming the first Latina to travel to space. I am truly inspired by Ellen Ochoa, and I hope that her story inspires other Latinas to be the representation they want to see in the world. To read more about Ellen Ochoa please click here.