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

Sylvia Acevedo was an engineer at IBM, a rocket scientist at NASA, commissioner on the White House Initiative for Education Excellence for Hispanics, and is currently the CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. I am BEYOND honored she dropped by Watch. Connect. Read. to chat with me about Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, school libraries, and story. I wrote the words in green, and Sylvia wrote the words in black. Thank you, Sylvia! 

Ji Hyuk Kim's cover illustration for Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist is a wonderful representation of the hopefulness of my younger self, with a great backdrop of the Organ Mountains and the star filled night. 

I hope Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist inspires many girls and boys to pursue their dreams and interests.  If I can overcome obstacles, so can they!

The Girl Scouts of the USA gives girls a “leg up on life.” It is an incredible organization that has made such a wonderful difference in the lives of millions of women. Almost every female astronaut that has ever been in space was a Girl Scout. 76% of female US Senators were Girl Scouts and all three Secretary of States were Girl Scouts. More than half of all female elected officials were Girl Scouts, as well as half of all female business owners. Girl Scouts made a difference in my life and millions of lives of women. 

School libraries are absolute community treasures. They open up the world for students, giving them a quiet place to study, to explore new worlds and to further develop their studies and interests. Plus, they have novels that let students be transported to different spaces and times, introducing students to worlds beyond their neighborhoods. School librarians are the unsung heroes for many students’ successes.

Story is a way to inspire students to dream, to aspire and to envision a life that fulfills one's potential. 

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me why I wrote this book. I wrote this book after giving several speeches where students came up to me and wanted to share my story with their teachers, their family and friends. I thought of those students as I wrote the book. 

Look for Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist on September 4, 2018.