Katherine Shepard's Accomplishments

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The American dream can be defined by whoever dreams it. It could be the dream of making money so you can afford comfort for yourself and your family just as much as striving to become successful in what you pursue. How possible or impossible it is, doesn’t make it unfit for the definition of “the American dream”. The only thing what makes it valuable at all is the self-accomplishment and happiness it causes the individual who chose to go after it. There are as many different dreams in terms of triumph, accomplishment and success as there are individuals. Though the only thing we have in common might be that we strive after the consequences of the dream, which are happiness and content with oneself. It’s a long way to the target but what keeps …show more content…

From 1958 until her retirement in 1986, she worked as aerospace technologist in the famous projects which were of great importance in the time of the race into space against the Soviet Union. She calculated the trajectory for the 1961 space flight of Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space, also the launch window for his 1961 Mercury mission. Despite all these achievements, Katherine never saw herself as more than the others. In her early years, her father had taught her this by saying: “You’re just as good as any of them, but you’re in no way better.” Breaking the norms like this, an African-American woman to succeed in a field dominated by men, purely through hard work and determination is the essence of what the American dream should be interpreted as, rather than the sum of money or recognition you receive from it. It wasn’t until 2015 when she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama and the year 2016 when her story was featured in the Global Award and Oscar- winning movie ‘Hidden Figures’. She has contributed to the very important first steps in space exploration and has become an inspiration not just to me, but to all the little coloured or non-coloured girls, a proof that you can make it despite what everyone else, society included, has in mind for your