Top 10 Mae Jemison Quotes

The brilliant astronaut Mae Jemison’s quotes have become very popular among parents and teachers as a way to motivate kids to dream big and believe in themselves.

Here are a few of our favorite Mae Jemison quotes. There is also a handy poster with all the quotes available ready to be hung up in a classroom or a child’s bedroom.

Mae Jemison Poster
mae jemison quote

1. "Never be limited by other people's imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination."

mae jemison quotes

2. "Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live."

mae jemison quote

3. "What we find is that if you have a goal that is very, very far out, and you approach it in little steps, you start to get there faster. Your mind opens up to the possibilities."

mae jemison quotes

4. "I like to think of ideas as potential energy. They're really wonderful, but nothing will happen until we risk putting them into action."

mae jemison quote

5. "You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself."

mae jemison quote

6. "The thing that I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me."

mae jemison quote

7. "Some people say they feel very small when they think about space. I felt more expansive, very connected to the universe."

mae jemison quote

8. "I think one of the things that we have to think about it is, we are all a part of this universe."

mae jemison quote

9. "Pay attention to the world around you and then find the places where you think you’re skilled. Follow your bliss — and bliss doesn’t mean it’s easy!"

mae jemison quote

10. "The level of confidence women are able to build in women-only groups is important."

About Mae Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison is the first African American woman astronaut. She was admitted to the NASA astronaut training program on June 4, 1987. After training for a year, she officially became an astronaut and became NASA’s science mission specialist. Her job involved doing science experiments related to the crew on the space shuttle.
She first flew into space on September 12, 1992. While in space, she did experiments on herself and other astronauts.

In addition to being an accomplished astronaut, Jemison is the author of several books. She has appeared on many TV programs, including in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was this TV show that was one of Jemison’s first inspirations to pursue a career in science. She watched the show growing up and was inspired by one of the female characters who was played by an African American actress. So at a very early age, she determined that she wanted to pursue a career in science and go to outer space.

In 1977, she graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. After graduating from Stanford, she went on to study medicine at Cornell University and became a doctor in the early 1980s. She worked for several years as a doctor before applying to become a NASA astronaut in 1987. After six years as an astronaut, working at the Kennedy Space Center and going on a mission aboard the space shuttle Endeavor, Jemison left NASA in 1993. She continued her career in science by teaching at Dartmouth College and being involved in various organizations and initiatives that promote science and technology.

 Read our interview and cover story on Mae Jemison here.

Mae Jemison Magazine
Smore Magazine Cover Nov/Dec 2018

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