Dr. Ellen Ochoa: A Spark in Our Sky

Play Summary

This inspiring and magical play begins with young Ellen growing up in La Mesa, California. When she’s not focused on her schoolwork, she spends her time playing the flute. Influenced by her mother and trailblazer Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, Ellen discovers that girls can be astronauts too.

Her passion for math leads her to Stanford University, where she studies engineering. This path takes her to NASA, where she earns three patents, including one for an optical inspection system designed to detect defects in repeating patterns. But Ellen dreams even bigger: she wants to go to space.

In 1993, Ellen Ochoa makes history as the first Latina woman to travel to space, embarking on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle “Discovery”. She later becomes the first Latina, and only the second woman, to serve as Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Her love of music remains with her throughout her journey; through an educational initiative called “Liftoff to Learning”, she plays her flute aboard the shuttle to inspire K–12 students around the world.

This play embraces a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approach to learning, weaving together the arts and sciences. It also sheds light on the unique challenges faced by Latina individuals striving for excellence in a society that often makes it difficult. Ellen Ochoa’s story reminds us all to reach for the stars no matter how distant they may seem.

A 45-minute play written by Marta Mendez Cross; Directed by Virginia Novello

Additional Information

Grades: K-12th

Cost: $600