Sally Ride Remembered / Scholastic Magazine

Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, died yesterday at the age of 61. Ride went to space twice, in 1983 and 1984. And besides doing experiments and tests high above the earth, she became a hero to all Americans — men and women, kids and adults.

Ride was also a role model for young people — especially girls — who wanted to become an astronaut some day. She showed what it takes to go to space, and after she retired from NASA she committed herself to preparing future generations of space explorers and scientists. She wrote nine books aimed at kids about space and science, and in 2001 she founded Sally Ride Science to educate and support kids’ interest in science, math, and technology.

In 2010, Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan interviewed Sally Ride at Education Nation in New York about the importance of science and math education. Ride also shared her advice for kids who might want to be an astronaut someday.

Watch Mariam’s interview below, and let us know in the comments what Sally Ride and her accomplishments mean to you.

Click here for interview http://teacher.scholastic.com/space/sts7/interview.htm