4 1 KATHERINE JOHNSON Katherine Johnson began her professional career as an elementary school and high school teacher in Virginia When she retired about 50 years later she was the mathematician who sent the first Americans into space Johnson helped break scientific barriers to space exploration She also broke racial and gender barriers Johnson's career took off when much of America was still segregated by race It was also a time when professional women were granted lower status than their male coworkers As an African American woman Johnson experienced the race and gender discrimination of her time But she refused to let it influence her opportunities If you lose your curiosity then you stop learning Katherine Johnson
5 Johnson was instrumental in both space travel calculations and research In her career she wrote 26 scientific papers Johnson gave others her respect and she expected the same in return Now in her late nineties Johnson is modest about her achievements She credits her success to her love of learning A natural teacher Johnson continues to inspire learners of all ages to ask questions and stay curious
6 2 READY FOR THE FAST TRACK Katherine Coleman was born on August 26 1918 in White Sulphur Springs West Virginia She was the youngest of four children born to Joylette and Joshua Coleman Katherine's mother was a former teacher Her father was a farmer Katherine has said that she was born liking math From an early age she thought in numbers She would count steps as she walked to church She counted plates as she washed dishes Young Katherine was so eager to start learning that she would follow her older brother to school When Katherine could finally start school herself she was already advanced She skipped first grade and went straight to second A few years later Katherine leapt from fourth to sixth grade By the time Katherine was ten years old she was ready for high school
7 Katherine attended the West Virginia Collegiate Institute This school grew from a high school and trade school to one of the leading African American universities At the time West Virginia was still segregated So Katherine could not attend school with white students But Katherine's town did not have a high school for African American students Katherine's parents wouldn't let this limit their children's education So Katherine and her siblings went to an African American high school in Institute West Virginia 125 miles 201 km away Katherine's mother lived in Institute with the kids during the school year
