The beginning - Sunita Williams: Birth of a trailblazer

Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965 in Euclid, Ohio to a family with a blend of Indian and Slovenian roots. Her father, Deepak Pandya who was a son of Indian immigrants, worked as a medical professional and her mother Claudia was a Slovenian immigrant. Growing up, Sunita was exposed to the value of hard work, perseverance and the importance of education from her parents. These values shaped her future and fueled her ambition to push the boundaries of what she has achieved today. 

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As a child, she was particularly interested in physical activities, excelling in swimming and running, even setting school records in both sports. Her fascination with space, however, began later and was influenced by her early exposure to NASA’s space missions. 

Williams’ interest in space deepened as she pursued her studies particularly after joining the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  There, she not only excelled in academics but also broke barriers by becoming one of the first women to attend the prestigious academy. 

Upon graduating in 1987 with a degree in Mathematics, she was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy. Her career in the navy was marked by her success as a helicopter pilot and this was where she gained thousands of hours of flight experience. 

Though she initially dreamt of becoming an astronaut at a young age, it wasn’t until she applied multiple times to NASA that her dream began to materialize. Williams faced rejection several times before being selected as one of NASA’s astronaut candidates in 1998. 

Her unwavering perseverance paid off, and in the coming years, she would make history, not just as an astronaut but as a groundbreaking role model for women in STEM fields.