Aprille Ericsson-Jackson may be one of the most recognized women in NASA. Starting as an aerospace engineer, Ericsson-Jackson progressed on, and spent a majority of her career helping the world get a better understanding of the Earth and sun connection, as well as earth, and space science.

Raised in a low-income housing project on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Ursula Burns excelled in math, and ultimately received her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.

Known as the “First Lady of Engineering,” Lillian Gilbreth was massively successful with her education, career, and as a loving mother of 12! Applying a scientific method to her work that is still used today for workplace efficiency and management, Gilbreth also took part in consulting for the government during the Great Depression and WWII.

Dorothy Vaughan was a math teacher in Farmville, Virginia and joined the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory part-time in 1943. An abundance of data led to Vaughan obtaining a full-time job at the laboratory.

Mary Jackson graduated from her high school with top marks and continued on to get her bachelor’s degree in Science from the Hampton Institute. She started off teaching, before taking a job at NASA.

Katherine Johnson proved her promising intelligence early on, being moved up several grades beyond her peers, and graduated at the early age of just 13! She graduated West Virginia University with the high honors and went on to be a teacher. When the college integrated its graduate schools, Johnson was picked along with 2 other men to hold a spot at the school.