In this post, we’ll read the best Mae Jemison quotes, an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut who made history as the first African American woman to travel in space.
In 1987, Mae Jemison was selected as one of 15 candidates from a pool of over 2,000 applicants to join NASA’s astronaut program. She completed tough training and served as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s STS-47 mission, which launched on September 12, 1992.
She has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to science and society, including induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame.
Let’s read some of the best Mae Jemison quotes about space, science and more.
Famous Mae Jemison Quotes
1. “You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.”
2. “Take calculated risks and be willing to step out of your comfort zone.”
3. “We are all tasked to balance and optimize ourselves.”
4. “The level of confidence women are able to build in women-only groups is important.”
5. “Discovery is the essence of human existence.”
6. “Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.”
7. “Diversity is not about how we differ; it is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Being an Astronaut
1. “As an astronaut, you have a very defined set of tasks to do. Those tasks may require you to work 60, 70 or 80 hours a week.”
2. “Everyone in the astronaut program has a degree in a science field.”
3. “I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute that would be difficult to do if I stayed. I thought I could have a stronger voice as an advocate for space exploration. So I ended up starting my own technology consulting company.”
4. “Sometimes people ask me how difficult the astronaut program was, but being in Sierra Leone, being responsible for the health of more than 200 people, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at age 26 – that prepared me to take on a lot of different challenges.”
5. “I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did not know if I would get in. It was the year after the Challenger accident in 1987.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Space
1. “I wanted to be a scientist, but I wanted to go into space. They are not mutually exclusive.”
2. “I always knew I’d go to space.”
3. “When I’m asked about the relevance to Black people of what I do, I take that as an affront. It presupposes that Black people have never been involved in exploring the heavens, but this is not so. Ancient African empires – Mali, Songhai, Egypt – had scientists, astronomers. The fact is that space and its resources belong to all of us, not to any one group.”
4. “I believe the biggest impediment we have right now with going to Mars is public commitment. More people need to see themselves as a part of space travel; we need to see more inclusiveness.”
5. “People like space. But they sometimes have been left out. People are much more open to that if you invite them in.”
6. “In space, you need to exercise your heart since it’s not pumping blood around at the same rate.”
7. “When I left NASA, I was looking at how you could use space technologies for developing countries’ work.”
8. “I’d love to go into space again if there were a mission to Mars. I’d also love to go to a completely different planetary system, out of our solar system.”
9. “People put themselves in difficult situations in lots of different areas. What you count on is people taking every precaution. The aerospace industry is unique in this aspect because a thousandths-of-an-inch mistake can cause spectacular failures.”
Motivational Mae Jemison Quotes
1. “Timidity does not inspire bold acts.”
2. “Believe in yourself and your abilities. With determination and hard work, anything is possible.”
3. “Never settle for mediocrity. Strive for excellence in everything you do.”
4. “Don’t let fear of the unknown prevent you from venturing into new territories.”
5. “Don’t let setbacks define you. It’s how you bounce back that truly matters.”
6. “It’s important to take risks and step out of your comfort zone.”
7. “I think that people need an adrenalin rush. Folks need something aspirational; they need to do something that is hard. That’s what ignites the imagination.”
8. “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.”
9. “We should continually challenge ourselves to push the boundaries of what we think is possible.”
10. “I like to think of ideas as potential energy. They’re really wonderful, but nothing will happen until we risk putting them into action.”
11. “There are individuals who can support you, but frequently, you have to risk putting yourself out there – and sometimes you just have to push.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Making a Difference
1. “We all have the power to make a difference, no matter how small.”
2. “You have the right to be involved. You have something important to contribute, and you have to take the risk to contribute it.”
3. “We all have a responsibility to make the world a better place.”
4. “We are all connected, and our actions have a ripple effect on the world.”
5. “Stay curious and ask questions. That’s how you uncover hidden truths and make new discoveries.”
6. “The world needs your unique talents and contributions. Don’t be afraid to share them.”
7. “Strive to leave a positive impact on the world and make it a better place.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Dreams
1. “The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up.”
2. “Dream big, work hard, stay focused, and surround yourself with good people.”
3. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”
4. “Don’t wait for someone else to give you permission to pursue your dreams. Give it to yourself.”
5. “We must not only dream but also believe that our dreams can be achieved.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Learning
1. “Be a lifelong learner and never stop seeking knowledge and wisdom.”
2. “The biggest challenge we all face is to learn about ourselves and to understand our strengths and weaknesses. We need to utilize our strengths, but not so much that we don’t work on our weaknesses.”
3. “It’s important to embrace failures and mistakes as learning opportunities.”
4. “People shouldn’t limit themselves to what they learn at school. Life is all about learning!”
5. “My parents were comfortable with me exploring areas that they were not proficient in. Some parents just aren’t comfortable with that.”
6. “Seek out mentors who can guide and inspire you on your journey.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Success
1. “Success is not just about making money, it’s about making a difference.”
2. “Success is not about achieving fame or fortune; it’s about leaving a meaningful legacy.”
3. “Success is not about reaching the top; it’s about lifting others up along the way.”
4. “Success is not a destination; it’s a continuous journey of self-improvement.”
5. “I’ve gotten this advice at different times, and it distills down to one word: purpose. Why are you here? When you start to get distracted by thoughts such as ‘Do I fit in? Does this person like me?’ – remember why you’re there and what you want to accomplish.”
6. “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!”
7. “Failure is just a stepping stone to success.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Leadership
1. “Leadership is not about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge.”
2. “The first thing about being a leader is you have to have a vision.”
3. “Be a leader who empowers others and inspires them to reach their full potential.”
4. “The thing that struck me as I watched the election was that almost no one in Washington knew how to make a decision.”
5. “You can’t make progress if you’re not prepared to foster an environment of open, honest and respectful dialogue.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Education
1. “Your voice has the power to inspire, to educate, and to create change.”
2. “Education is not about filling a pail, but lighting a fire.”
3. “Education is not about sitting and listening, it’s about being able to run with the new ideas.”
4. “When you have teachers saying, ‘I don’t have enough time for hands-on activities,’ we need to rethink the way we do education.”
5. “I had great mentors in my parents who always sought to understand the world around them. And they would push me to really think things through.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Life
1. “The thing that I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me.”
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.”
3. “Intuitive versus analytical? That’s a foolish choice. It’s foolish, just like trying to choose between being realistic or idealistic. You need both in life.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Science
1. “We look at science as something very elite, which only a few people can learn. That’s just not true. You just have to start early and give kids a foundation. Kids live up, or down, to expectations.”
2. “A big part of engaging kids in science is not getting the single, correct answer; it’s being willing to work with students to discover the correct answer.”
3. “Science provides an understanding of a universal experience. Arts provide a universal understanding of a personal experience.”
4. “The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin even, or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.”
5. “Kids come out of the chute liking science. They ask, ‘How come? Why? What’s this?’ They pick up stuff to examine it. We might not call that science, but it’s discovering the world around us.”
6. “Some of the most fun people I know are scientists.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Future
1. “The future never just happened. It was created.”
2. “I want to make sure that that future that we’re creating is one that is the best it can be for people around the world, and also one that includes the full range of our talent and our skills – and, you know, gender and ethnicity, geography – to solving the world’s problems.”
3. “The future is not a destination; it’s a journey.”
4. “To survive as a species on this planet, we’re going to have to see ourselves as Earthlings.”
5. “The biggest challenge we face is shifting human consciousness, not saving the planet. The planet doesn’t need saving, we do.”
Mae Jemison Quotes on Universe
1. “I think one of the things that we have to think about it is, we are all a part of this universe.”
2. “The really wonderful thing that happened to me when I was in space was this feeling of belonging to the entire universe.”
3. “Once I got into space, I was feeling very comfortable in the universe. I felt like I had a right to be anywhere in this universe, that I belonged here as much as any speck of stardust, any comet, any planet.”
4. “Some people say they feel very small when they think about space. I felt more expansive, very connected to the universe.”
5. “The reality is that we know that this universe, that our galaxy, has billions of stars. We know that stars have planets. So the likelihood that there is life somewhere else to me is just absolutely there.”
These Mae Jemison quotes let us know about her passion about space exploration and science.
Mae Jemison is a strong supporter for science, education, and social responsibility and she is an inspiration to women and people of color, to pursue careers in STEM fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
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