Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Ellen Lauri Ochoa: World's First Hispanic Woman Astronaut
Ellen Ochoa was the world's first Hispanic woman to fly in space. She was born in California on May 10, 1958. She was born in Los Angeles, but she considers La Mesa, California, to be her home. Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969. Ellen was only eleven years old at that time. It made her even more interested in space. She enjoyed music, math, and science. She became an excellent flute player in school.
Ellen had two brothers and a sister. Her parents got divorced while she was in high school. She graduated from Grossmont High School in La Mesa, California, in 1975.
Ellen received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from San Diego State University in 1980. She received her master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1981. When Sally Ride became the first U.S. female astronaut in 1983, Ellen was inspired to become an astronaut, too. She earned her doctorate degree in 1985.
