Retired astronaut Sally Ride credits her parents and two high school teachers with encouraging her budding interest in science.
"In high school, I had two teachers who spent a lot of time with me. But more than that, they encouraged me and gave me confidence," Ride, the first American woman in space, said Saturday at the Inland Empire Science Festival in Riverside, Calif.
The 51-year-old Ride, who retired from NASA in 1987, has her sights on a new mission: bridging the gender gap in science and technology with her Imaginary Lines Inc., which brings work to science fairs.
She said the gap in science and math typically starts in sixth grade.
"It's not because they're not good at them, but the subjects don't seem cool or relevant," she said. "A 12-year-old girl who wants to be an electrical engineer may get different reactions from her peers, parents and teachers than a 12-year-old boy. At that age, it's not cool for a girl to be the best one in math class. She wants to be accepted as part of a group."
Ride, who got a doctorate in physics from Stanford University, beat out 8,000 applicants to be among 35 men and women to join NASA's elite.