![]() Computers did mathematical calculations for aerodynamicists so that they could focus on science. Johnson joined West Computing, a segregated unit of African American women "computers" (then a job title). In 1953, she started work at NASA's precursor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Johnson was one of the first African American graduate students at West Virginia University. She and her colleagues inspired Margot Lee Shetterly's book, Hidden Figures, and the movie of the same name. In 1961, Johnson calculated the flight path for America's first astronaut launched into space. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.” She broke barriers and encouraged the next generation to do the same.On February 24, 2020, Katherine Johnson passed away at age 101. She was quoted as saying, “Girls, some of them are reluctant to ask questions… Girls are capable of everything men are capable of doing. However, when asked about some of her greatest accomplishments, Johnson shared that although she enjoyed her work, she loved speaking to students especially girls. As a result of her accomplishments, women like Jeanette Epps, and more, credit her with paving the way for them to become astronauts, mathematicians, and more. Johnson was a trailblazer in STEM who inspired many people. Johnson also said in the WHRO interview, “If you attack the problem right, you’ll get the answer.” And added, “You lose your curiosity when you stop learning.” Her desire to keep improving, growing and learning continued to propel her forward. In several interviews, she shared that her approach to problem-solving was to learn how to attack it. Johnson enjoyed solving problems and often took opportunities to learn. ![]() From then on, she began attending briefings and eventually began working on aerospace trajectories. However, she was told, “the girls don’t usually go.” She then asked, “is there a law?” Since there wasn’t one, her boss let her go. She worked her way up and, as she shared in the 2011 WHRO interview, when the space program came along, she asked for permission to participate in the briefings for it. In June of 1953, she landed a job at Langley working on airplanes. When she initially applied to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) Langley laboratory, she missed the hiring deadline for that year, but she was determined to work there. She didn’t let her race or gender hold her back from opportunities. When she found solutions for problems, she shared them which ultimately led to her being respected and trusted for her mathematical abilities.ģ. ![]() In school, she was able to skip multiple grades which led to her graduating from high school at the age of 14 and then college at age 18. She was a genius who didn’t hide her gift and educators took notice. Johnson was a teacher, mathematician, and researcher. She didn’t know what it meant to be a research mathematician but in time, that is what she pursued. As she encountered different people who saw her gift, like her college math teacher, she became enlightened and later decided that she wanted to work in aerospace. When it was discovered that young Katherine was good in math, she didn’t have an idea of what she could do with it as a career. Johnson shared in an interview with public media station WHRO that her dad only had a 6th-grade education, but he was good with numbers. Here are 5 ways that she used resilience to create her legacy: ![]()
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