Sally Ride Day on May 26 honors the first American woman to go into space. Dr. Ride accomplished this feat as a mission specialist aboard the second flight of the Space Shuttle “Challenger” which launched from Kennedy Space Center, June 18, 1983. She took the same job of mission specialist on a flight the next year as well.

While it’s easy to overlook Sally Ride Day… it does land on a day most of us return to the office after a three-day weekend…we should take a moment to consider the contributions of this female astronaut.

While Dr. Sally Ride is remembered for her space flight, her real legacy is what she did for science education.  After NASA cancelled her third planned trip to space because of the Challenger disaster, Ride became the director and a professor at the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego in 1989. In 2001, she started her own company to create educational programs and products to help inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in science and math.

INB is proud to support organizations that continue to focus on inspiring girls and women.  The Girl Scouts.  Girls on the Run.  Illinois Women in Leadership.  You’ll also find many women in leadership roles in our bank, beginning with our bank President and CEO, Sarah Phalen.

The women of INB can count Sally as one of the female pioneers who have made all careers possible.  For that, we’re happy to mark Sally Ride Day on our calendars.