… encouraging young girls to pursue a career in STEM. She advises girls who are interested to get a mentor, especially a female mentor, to help them.
“That is something that has really pushed me to this point in my life,” she said. “I’ve been really grateful and lucky to have the mentorship support that I’ve received from a lot of my teachers and professors and supervisors. That’s been something that’s really important for me, and I think help with that idea of persistence, having a mentor who can continue to push you and encourage you in a STEM field is really helpful.”
Black astronauts are few and far in between in the history of NASA. But Watkins is in good company with the five black women who’ve made their mark including Mae Jemison, Yvonne Darlene Cagle, Stephanie D. Wilson, Joan E. Higginbotham and, more recently, Jeanette J. Epps.