The first American woman in space, Sally Ride, paved the way for many women with aspirations in science. She made great strides in the women's movement. The women's movement is a way for women to achieve equal rights. There were three aspects behind the women's movement: the right to vote, the glass ceiling and feminism. The right to vote is about obtaining the right that should be given to everyone in America, the right to vote. The glass ceiling is the idea that women have equal rights in the workplace. All women should get the position and pay they deserve, not position and pay based on their gender. Feminism is the way to legally protect women from abuse by men. Sally Ride made huge strides in proving what women could do. She is an inspiration to young girls who want to achieve their goals, no matter what it takes. Sally Kristen Ride was born in Encino, California on May 26, 1951. Growing up, Sally was considered a tomboy. She spent most of her time playing soccer and baseball with the neighborhood boys. Growing up, Sally discovered a passion for tennis and science fiction novels. In high school, she studied chemistry, physics, trigonometry and calculus. Sally began her freshman year of college at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, then transferred to Stanford University in California. At Stanford, Sally's major majors were English and physics. After graduating, Sally entered Stanford's master's program, specializing in astrophysics. That's when Sally learned that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was looking for young scientists to become mission specialists. She noticed that NASA encouraged women to apply. Sally applied and seemed to meet all the requirements. He was asked to report to...... middle of paper...... 4.Miller, Stephan. “First American woman to fly in space.” The Wall Street Journal. Np, and Web. April 30, 2014. Orr, Tamra. Sally Ride: the first American woman in space. New York: Rosen Central, 2004. Print. Reinhold, Robert. “Behind every astronaut are the 'other' women of NASA.” New York Times. Np, and Web. April 27, 2014. Riddolls, Tom. Sally Ride: the first American woman in space. St. Catharines: Crabtree Pub., 2011. Print. “Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies at 61” USA Today nd: MAS Ultra - School Edition. Internet. April 25, 2014. Schraff, Anne E. Daredevil American Heroes of Exploration and Flight. Berkeley Heights: Enslow, 2014. Print. Stine, Megan and Ted Hammond. Who was Sally Ride? New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 2013. Print. Wilford, John Noble. “Shuttles in orbit with 5 people on board. » Science from the New York Times. Np, and Web. April 27. 2014.