Dr. Sian Proctor grew up the daughter of a NASA hidden figure, with the stars in her sights until a pair of glasses at age fourteen seemed to close the door on her dream of becoming a military aviator. She kept reaching anyway, pursuing a career in geoscience and science communication, coming agonizingly close to NASA selection before receiving a rejection that sent her life in a different direction. In this episode, Dr. Sian Proctor talks about the long, winding road from that childhood dream to becoming the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft; hitting a low point after a painful divorce; and the unexpected creative awakening that ultimately launched her to space. And once she got there, she did what she's always done: made art.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

02:10 A NASA Legacy and Childhood Dreams

06:30 From Science to Education: Finding a New Path

08:09 The PhD Journey: Overcoming Obstacles

18:56 NASA's Rejection: A Turning Point

25:14 An Astronaut on Earth

31:13 COVID, Creativity, and Space Postcards

34:54 The Winning Ticket: A Fateful Announcement

40:28 Training and Launch: A Dream Realized

42:29 Creating Art in Zero Gravity

44:59 The Transformative Power of Earthlight

46:52 Pivoting Again: Professor, Astronaut, Artist

47:57 Low Point to Launch

49:51 Closing Thoughts

50:57 Podcast Credits

Keep up with Space Poet on Instagram @drsianproctor and her website ​​https://space2inspire.art/ 

 

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She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

 

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