NATIONAL (SCRIPPS) — You've probably heard of Frida Kahlo or Lin-Manuel Miranda. How about Jennifer Lopez or Cheech Marin? Latinos are known for everything from art and music to acting and comedy.
Scripps reporter Lindsey Pena tells us about a Latina who recently made history in space.
On June 4th 2022, Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin rocket blasted off, making history by carrying the first Mexican born, American woman into space, Katya Echazarreta.
HARD TO BELIEVE
"It was really hard for me to believe it," says Katya.
Despite already working for NASA and having a goal of one day being an astronaut, her mission was fast tracked when she secured a seat on the flight through an organization called Space for Humanity.
"I was selected out of 7,000 applicants from all over the world as their first citizen astronaut in their program," says Katya.
The non-profit wants to send people like Echazarreta to space to experience what's called the overview effect. A unique shift in worldview achieved by astronauts and hopefully inspire them to affect meaningful change back here on earth.
Primarily, I want to help minorities and women interested in STEM fields," says Katya.
Since her flight, she says she's been laser focused on doing that, using her newfound notoriety and platform to meet with Mexican leaders.
"Of course I'm gonna use my voice. You're putting the highest officials of a country in front of me and I have a voice that I can use. I am going to use it," says Katya.
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
She says the title "first Mexican born woman in space" is one that carries great responsibility. She realizes just how much her accomplishments mean for women who still feel very much tied to traditional gender roles.
She becomes emotional remembering what happened during a recent speaking engagement in Mexico when an older woman came up to her.
"And she held me by the hands and she looked me in the eyes and I knew what she meant I said we don't have to stay home anymore and she started crying," says Katya.
At just 27, 26 at the time of her flight, Echazarreta is also one of the youngest women to go to space.
It's been a journey of ups and downs that actually began right here in San Diego County, growing up in Chula Vista. Although the plan was to go to college elsewhere, she ended up staying to help support her single mom and younger siblings, and enrolling at San Diego City College.
"That's you. That's me," says Rafael Alvarez, Echazarreta's Director at MESA: Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program.
"I never get tired of looking at this and smiling and I walk by it every day and smile," says Alvarez.
He says she's just one of many incredible examples of the students who come through this campus.
"That they achieve these things is proof that they have great potential," says Alvarez.
Echazarreta's start at City College, then went to UCLA, where she graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and went straight to work at NASA.
She's now working on her masters from John's Hopkins University, creating educational programming and doing all she can to diversify the STEM fields.
FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
"I want to bring space to Mexico. I want to help any little kid who has dreams of working in the space industry I want them to have that opportunity," says Katya.
An opportunity she had. A young woman who once also worked at McDonald's.
She says she just wants people to know it wasn't always easy. In fact, it rarely was. She struggled and sacrificed, failed time and time again.
But as cliché as it might sound, never gave in to the doubts and never gave up on herself.
"I don't want anybody to look at me and think of me like a superhuman I want people to look at me and think well she well she did it she's normal just like us so why can't I," says Katya.