When we learn about NASA and the Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union in history classes, we all hear about Apollo 11’s moon landing and John Glenn’s orbit of Earth, but what about all of the planning and preparation that went into these historic events?  Last Friday I watched Hidden Figures and was blown away by the story of three women who, despite rampant racism and sexism, helped propel Americans into space.  I’m a huge history buff, so I was really excited to see this movie, and I was not disappointed.  I have a newfound and immense respect for Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan.  All three of them faced so many barriers at NASA due to their race and gender, yet all three of them were able to make significant contributions that were necessary to the success of John Glenn’s mission.  One of the arcs that really stuck with me was John Glenn’s respect and admiration for the work they did, especially Katherine Johnson.  When he first arrived at Langley, he made sure to go to the “colored” section and introduce himself to the women, even though none of the NASA administrators wanted him to.  During a meeting with Glenn and high officials in NASA and the Navy, Katherine Johnson calculated the exact landing coordinates based on certain factors, which impressed Glenn so much so that when the day of the mission came, he called Langley and asked for Johnson to personally verify the coordinates that the new IBM computer had found.  If you put in the work and persevere despite setbacks, like these strong women did, someone will take notice and give you the recognition you deserve.