June’s Young Learners’ Series features Cherokee engineer Mary Golda Ross, the great-great granddaughter of Principal Chief John Ross. Born in 1908, Ross graduated college with a mathematics degree & studied astronomy while earning her master’s degree. She worked for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation during World War II & helped develop a fighter plane. When the space race began, Ross became the first woman to work on a top-secret program — she was on a team of 40 engineers. She is recognized as the first Native American female engineer.
The Young Learners’ Series is free. It focuses on early Shoals history via short lessons & hands-on learning. Currently, YLS is exploring 12 Native American figures through biographies, contributions, hopes & accomplishments. Students will be given a passport with the 12 figures & will receive a stamp for each program attended. Students who collect six, nine or 12 stamps will receive an award.
