Although I believe that one does not have to share a gender, race, religion or any other demographic factor with someone in order to see that person as a role model, it can help... especially when it comes to kids. It seems that for kids, it is easier for them to look up to a role model to whom they feel a connection. Sometimes demographic factors can help with this. Other times it might be a shared interest or ability that helps create the connection.

I teach children with learning disabilities. They are the underdogs. They are the kids that many people assume "can't do it". For them, the "it" can be a myriad of tasks. "It" may be reading, writing, math, or running the mile. "It" may be going to college or finding a job. But "it" does not matter. These kids can do great things. They can do "it".

Three underdogs who did "it"!

Because of their underdog status, my students tend to relate to other underdogs. They feel connected to anyone who is counted out before the game even begins. It gets my kids pumped up when they see one of these long shots succeed.

The first time I saw the trailer for Hidden Figures, I said to my wife, "I can't wait for that to come out so my students can see it". It appears to be the type of underdog story to which my students can relate. The movie does not come out for another two weeks. It might be terrible. Who knows?

Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson
and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan

But what I do know, is that Karen Johnson, one of the women on which the movie is based, is freaking amazing! She was an underdog. She was counted out before the game began. She was doubted. People assumed she couldn't do "it"... and she rose above it all.

Johnson was born in West Virginia in 1918. Her parents, including her school teacher mother, stressed education from an early age. They quickly noticed that she had a talent for math. She excelled in school until she reached the 8th grade. Unfortunately, in Greenbrier County where she lived, she was not allowed to attend high school... because she was an African American.

Instead of giving up, during the school year, her family lived in Institute West Virginia. She was allowed to attend high school there and graduated at the age of 14. Next, she enrolled in West Virginia State College where she took every single math course that was offered. Not only did she take every existing class, her mentor W.W. Schiefflin Clayton, created new math classes just for Johnson. She graduated Suma Cum Laude in 1937.

If the story ended there, it would be compelling. But it doesn't. Next Johnson became one of the first three African Americans (and only woman) to desegregate the graduate school of West Virginia University. After graduating she became a school teacher.

Then in 1953, Johnson the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA, offered her a job. Her first job was working in a pool of other mathematically skilled women performing complex math calculations. These women were called "computers".

I think the one on the right is smarter.

She did not stay in this pool for long. From 1953 to 1958, she performed analysis of gust alleviation for airplanes. From 1958 to 1986 she was an aerospace technologist for the Spacecraft Controls Branch. Some of the highlights of her time in this position include:

1959 - Calculated the trajectory for the flight of the first American in space (Alan Shepard)

1961 - Calculated the launch window of the Mercury Mission

1962 - When NASA used electronic computers for the first time, John Glenn insisted that Johnson be brought in to verify the computer's calculations

1969- Calculated the trajectory for Apollo 11

1970 - Helped to safely return Apollo 13

I honestly have no idea if the movie will be any good or not, but one thing is for certain...

Karen Johnson did "it"!

(And I can't wait for my kids to see it.)

Do you know anyone who has done "it" and proved the doubters wrong?

If you'd like to know more, please check out the article I used as my source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Johnson

Here's the trailer for the movie.

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