Like most people, we were saddened to hear about the passing of Dr. Sally Ride on Monday. She was one of the great American pioneers, blazing a trail — literally — by becoming the first American woman to travel to outer space (she went twice, in 1983 and 1984). She was a hero to everyone who ever dreamed of being an astronaut. As a friend of mine said, “Sally Ride was the second astronaut I knew by name (Neil Armstrong being the first).”

But Sally Ride was more than just a pioneering scientist and explorer, she was a role model for young people — especially girls — who wanted to become astronauts and work in what we now call STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. At first, she led by example. After she retired from the space program, she continued to inspire through books about space and science aimed at children (nine books in all) and her work preparing the next generation for the careers of the future. In 2001, she founded Sally Ride Science to educate and support kids’ interest in science, math, and technology.

Sally Ride’s legacy is deep and long-lasting. Her influence — on NASA, on education, on America — will be felt for a long, long time. And rightly so. She was an American hero and icon who made a difference on the lives of countless kids and adults.

In 2010, the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Ride at Education Nation in New York. Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan spoke with Dr. Ride about STEM education and what it takes to be an astronaut. It’s a great interview, with lots of good advice for everyone, regardless of age. Watch the interview below, and in the comments let us know what Sally Ride and her accomplishments mean to you.

Photo: Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan interviews Dr. Sally Ride at Education Nation in New York in 2010. (Scholastic)