Better Get Used to Me

– Taylor Richardson | High School Student | The Bolles School – 

Speech below was delivered at the 2017 March for Science in Washington, D.C. 

My name is Taylor Richardson, I live in Jacksonville, Florida where I attend The Bolles School. I am 13 years old and I am not just a black girl who’s interested in STEM but a black girl who Rocks STEM. I will be an engineer, a scientist, an astronaut. And I will go to Mars one day.

I’m marching because I want all girls, especially girls of color, to know that they can be a part of science. And more than that, they can be leaders in science.

I want them to know that, because I know that I am America. That I am science. I’m just the part that people refuse to recognize.

But like Muhammad Ali said, “you better get used to me.” 

Taylor Richardson

Yes, You better get used to us girls and women, because we are not going anywhere.

Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. I want girls to know we can educate each other, advocate for legislation to support science and engage others in our communities.

I stand here on the shoulders of giants: Mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped us go to the Moon. Rocket scientist Annie Easley. Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman astronaut and absolutely not the last.

Dr. Jemison is my hero because she told us this: “Never be limited by others limited imagination.”

I am here to say that you can be anything you want to be, a mathematician, a scientist, an engineer, an astronaut. You can go to Mars. You can be a mayor. A member of Congress. President of the United States.

You just have got to do the work, believe in YOURSELF – and never ever let anyone else’s limited imagination limit YOU, because you ROCK STEM and what you can do is limitless.

 Ready, Set, Dream STEM BIG Project 

 Featured Image from Pixabay |  CC0 Public Domain