I'm very aware of the fact that I'm not the first African-American
woman who had the skills, the talent, the desire to be an astronaut. I
happen to be the first one NASA selected.
Being first gives you a responsibility. You have a public platform and you must choose how to use it. I use mine to help folks become more comfortable with the idea that science is integral to our world. I vowed that I would talk about my work and ask people about theirs - the nitty-gritty details. These conversations are critical.