Eighteen years after her death, South Asian-born immigrant Astronaut Kalpana Chawla continues to inspire young immigrants. Chawla graduated with an engineering degree in India and came to America as an international student, earning a master’s degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. She became an American citizen, and NASA selected her into the astronaut program.
In 1997, she became the first woman of South Asian origin to fly in space. Chawla and six crew members died on February 1, 2003, when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry during its second mission.
“She was different, and she was special from her childhood. As a father, all I did was not clip her wings. She wanted to fly. I just let her fly freely.” said Chawl’s father.
Even though Chawla’s life was short, she turned her dream into a legacy lasting forever. She stood tall, viewed far, and flew high. Life isn’t about the destination; it is about the journey. A journey where what happens along the way is just as important as reaching the end, and where neither success nor failure is seen as the end goal.
Our journey always involves taking chances and looking for opportunities to bring the world to higher ground.
We all have unique sets of circumstances in our lives that prevent us from executing our dreams. And we tend to become inert pursuing such dreams because we fear that we may fail.
Don’t give up, keep chasing your dreams. One day, when you look back on your life, you will have less regret. Believe in yourself, in your future, and you will find your way.
