Introduction
Humanity is constantly interested in the question of what exists beyond the planet Earth. To explore this mysterious territory, many different technologies have been developed that have given people the opportunity to fly into space. Often, men prevail among astronauts, mainly due to the fact that it was a man who entered the moon first. However, in the modern world, this picture is changing, and the scope of space flights is becoming increasingly representative. Henceforth, Katya Echazarreta recently made history as the first Mexican-born American woman ever to fly to space. The value of this event is that it plays a significant role in expanding diversity in the space flight industry and makes a big step for the Mexican people, who often have little representation in such areas.
The Story of Katya Echazarreta
The story of Katya Echazarreta is genuinely revolutionary and will leave a significant contribution to history. Of particular importance for understanding the motivation of an astronaut is the study of its source of motivation. Hence, the girl is a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, but at the age of seven, her family moved to the United States of America (Larnaud). Due to the fact that her mother was a single mother, the girl had to grow up early and, from an early age, help her mother in raising her three siblings. In addition, Echazarreta worked in various jobs, the longest of which was employed in one of the most famous fast food chains. This work provided the girl with an understanding of what work is and taught discipline and organization.
It is also worth noting that Echazarreta, from early childhood, was amazed and fascinated by the dream of flying into space. However, she was constantly told that this desire was complicated to fulfill and she should choose more realistic goals for life. However, this did not stop the girl, and she did everything to pursue her dream.
The ability to work and a high level of motivation have become the main driving forces for Katya Echazarreta. Before starting training for a master’s degree, the girl took an internship at NASA. Echazarreta showed such high and outstanding results that she was immediately hired. This was the impetus for the further path of Katya Echazarreta to becoming an astronaut.
At the age of nineteen, the girl was an engineer at NASA, which is already a significant achievement. Nevertheless, it did not stop her, and she applied to participate in a space flight from the nonprofit organization Space for Humanity (ABC News). Ahead of many applicants, she became a member of a team of six people and became the first Mexican woman to be outside the planet Earth.
The Importance of the Event
The example of Katya Echazarreta’s achievement becomes one of the instances that anyone can reach such heights, regardless of gender, nationality, and background. This fact is supported by the fact that the astronaut is not only the only woman participating in the flight but is also a Mexican-born American (Lyles). This contributes to the formation of the concept of equality and diversity in an area where only men often prevailed. Moreover, research stated that the nonprofit organization that handled the flight noted that “as humans, our commonalities far outweigh our differences” (Lyles). It also confirms that characteristics such as belonging, gender, and culture are not decisive factors.
Moreover, the flight of the perfect group with the participation of Echazarreta becomes a significant breakthrough for Mexican culture and women. The girl claims that “being able to provide young women with an example of, ‘It’s not unrealistic, it’s actually something that is real and possible and can happen to you,’ that is the reason why this was so important for me” (Larnaud). Moreover, the girl showed by her example that any dream could be realized regardless of what others say. In addition, the woman emphasized that “being told that that person would be me, it’s a huge responsibility for women of color who are pursuing big dreams” (ABC News). Henceforth, Echazarreta became not only the first Mexican-born American woman who managed to visit space. It also shows that women can pursue an engineering career, which is often considered strictly male.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper considered the first case when a Mexican-born American woman was sent into orbit for the first time in the history of space exploration. She became Katya Echazarreta, a girl who moved to the United States at an early age to achieve her dream of becoming an astronaut. Despite her rather tricky situation in the family, she managed to get a proper education and become an engineer at NASA. In particular, it is worth noting that this case was a breakthrough for Mexican culture and provided not only greater representativeness in this industry. In addition, the achievement of Katya Echazarreta became an example of the fact that no characteristics can stop a person on the way to pursuit the dream of life.
Works Cited
“First Mexican Woman in Space Reflects on her Lifelong Dream of Reaching the Stars.” ABC News, 2022. Web.
Larnaud, Natacha. “She Used to Work at McDonald’s to Help Support her Family. Now, she’s the First Mexican-Born American Ever to Fly to Space.” CBS News, 2022. Web.
Lyles, Shauni. “First Mexican-Born American Woman Ever to Fly to Space is from San Diego.” CBS8. Web.