Reach for the Stars

7/19/2018

Path to the Stars:
My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist
by Sylvia Acevedo

“Is there a badge for you somewhere in the stars? “ my troop leader wondered. ‘Maybe studying space? “

Meet Sylvia Acevedo, daughter of a Papa, Texas chemist originally from Mexico and Mami, a native of Mexico who didn’t speak English. She recalls this story of her birth:

Some of the babies had blond hair. Some had brown hair or no hair at all, and nearly all of them had fair skin. Only one baby had very dark hair. “That was me!”

Acevedo grew up in Las Cruses, New Mexico, surrounded by a close-knit family. Young Sylvia had the desire to learn about her world and the drive to excel in a wide variety of endeavors. She credits the Girl Scouts with helping her learn to set goals and work to achieve them.

From childhood she realized that she had an affinity for numbers and a curiosity to learn how things work. By the age of thirteen, she assumed the responsibility of maintaining the family vehicle, including changing the oil. In junior high school, she opted out of home economics class, choosing instead to take an additional math course. Interestingly, one of the most challenging Girl Scout badges for her to earn was the cooking badge.

I was nine years old, living in a small desert town. And on that day I decided I would go to Stanford someday.

In addition to excelling academically and advancing in Girl Scouts, Sylvia enjoyed basketball. Eventually she reached a point during her college years when she had to make a choice: continue competing on the court or focus her attention on preparing for a career in engineering. She chose engineering. This was a groundbreaking career choice, as engineering was not considered an option for women.

They'd never had a woman engineer, so they didn’t even have a bathroom for women in the test labs.

Sylvia pioneered the work of women in the sphere of science and math. Her achievements resulted in advances in the study of rocket science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Equally important is the encouragement that her story provides for young girls, particularly for those from under-represented ethnicities and cultures. Her story can be the story for aspiring scientists everywhere.

Introduce middle grade to students to the remarkable Sylvia Acevedo: a girl who had a plan, worked hard and never gave up on her dream. This inspiring memoir belongs in all libraries, classrooms, and organizations which serve young people.

"My parents were proud of me, but now, I knew it was more important that I was proud of myself."

From Brownie to NASA scientist. Still the same winning smile!

There is another hero in this story: Sylvia's amazing mother. She was a woman determined to make life better for her children. Before Sylvia was old enough to attend school, her mother arranged for Sylvia and her brother to learn to read and write English. She also enrolled Sylvia in what was considered at the time to be a questionable program: Head Start. She helped Sylvia obtain a library card, open a savings account, and supported her participation in Girl Scouts. Mami learned to drive a car and made the decision to relocate her family to a neighborhood with more favorable schools. What remarkable women! Both Mami and Sylvia have my admiration and respect.

”'Are you happy?'! And, I finally realized, Mami asked the only question that really mattered."

Bonus

My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (English edition)
is also available in Spanish:
Camino a las estrellas: Mi recorrido de Girl Scout a ingeniera astronáutica

This autobiography is enhanced with liberal use of personal and family photographs inserted throughout the text. The author's "Note about Girl Scouts Yesterday and Today" provides context.