SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -
The first American woman to fly in space, Sally Ride, died Monday, after a 17 month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Several Caddo Parish teachers use her legacy to pass on to students.
"She wanted to make it known that everyone, no matter what your gender or race or whatever...if you choose a science career or path, you can be successful," says Tiffany Patterson.
"Sally Ride wanted all children, all people to feel that a career in that path was attainable," adds Jennifer Thrasher.
Thrasher and Patterson are among four Caddo Parish science teachers we talked with for this story. None of them ever met Sally Ride, but they learned plenty when they went to the Sally Ride Science Academy in California. They were among the first teachers in Caddo to be invited to attend.
"She was all about wanting girls to be interested in science," says Leigh Raines. "So the Sally Ride Science Academy has given us so many resources and activities and things we can bring back to our classrooms to engage and interest our students in science careers."
They brought back books about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math for people of all education levels.
"80 percent of the job demands and the careers out there for students leaving the classroom will be in science, math, and technology," Thrasher says.
To them, the woman who made history was also one who wanted to change the course of it for the students they teach every day.
"She was not encouraged to follow her dream," Debbie Woodell says. "And that, to me, is something she wanted never to happen again to young girls especially, but young boys and girls."
"The path that our society is going towards, our students and our kids need to understand the importance of math and science. So I think her legacy is going to be us teaching our students that they can be another Sally Ride or even more," adds Tiffany Patterson.
And these women plan to keep that legacy going strong.
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