25 Ellen Ochoa Quotes From the Talented and Inspirational Woman

By Stephanie Kirby

Writer, Entrepreneur and Inspirational quote curator

Published March 8, 2023

Anyone looking for an example of a woman that has achieved great things will enjoy these Ellen Ochoa quotes!

Ellen Ochoa is an inspirational woman who has achieved great things, including being a former astronaut and the Director of the Johnson Space Center.

Ellen Ochoa was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1958 to her parents, Joseph and Rosanne Ochoa.

Ochoa grew up in La Mesa, California, as the middle of five children.

After high school, she attended and graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics.

Ellen later earned her master of science degree and a doctorate from the Stanford Department of Electrical Engineering.

Ellen then became an astronaut and the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she traveled there aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1993.

Take a look at these inspirational Ellen Ochoa quotes to learn more about her.

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Inspirational Ellen Ochoa Quotes

Check out these inspirational quotes from Ellen Ochoa.

1. “I was always drawn to teachers who made class interesting.” — Ellen Ochoa

2. “I tell students that the opportunities I had were a result of having a good educational background.” — Ellen Ochoa

3. “But what I really hope for young people is that they find a career they’re passionate about, something that’s challenging and worthwhile.” — Ellen Ochoa

4. “I’ll tell you, being involved in human space flight, it is an emotional endeavor. I think it brings in the highest highs and the lowest lows.” — Ellen Ochoa

5. “I hope to continue to inspire our nation’s youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math so they, too, may reach for the stars.” — Ellen Ochoa

6. “I realized how important it was to know something about aviation, and it was something I was interested in, so I followed my brother’s footsteps and obtained my pilot’s license.” — Ellen Ochoa

7. “What everyone in the astronaut corps shares in common is not gender or ethnic background, but motivation, perseverance, and desire – the desire to participate in a voyage of discovery.” — Ellen Ochoa

8. “My high school calculus teacher, Ms. Paz Jensen, made math appealing and motivated me to continue studying it in college.” — Ellen Ochoa

9. “A hallmark of the Latino community is to help one another; if students are interested in a way to give back and help their communities, becoming a teacher is probably one of the very best ways of doing that.” — Ellen Ochoa

10. “I think of it as a good opportunity to let, in particular, school kids know that this job and other interesting jobs in science and engineering are open to anyone who works hard in school and gets a good education and studies math and science.” — Ellen Ochoa

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Wise Ellen Ochoa Quotes

Enjoy some of these wise quotes from Ellen Ochoa.

11. “Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars.” — Ellen Ochoa

12. “Education is what allows you to stand out.” — Ellen Ochoa

13. “Astronauts are very professional, and when they’re preparing for launch, they prepare for it as the most serious endeavor of our lives.” — Ellen Ochoa

14. “I’m honored to be recognized among generations of astronauts who were at the forefront of exploring our universe for the benefit of humankind.” — Ellen Ochoa

15. “Now with this milestone, we can focus on the fact that what is important to succeed in life, it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman.” — Ellen Ochoa

16. “We are constantly emphasizing to people that they need to address anything that affects flight safety or mission success – many pathways to do that.” — Ellen Ochoa

17. “Well, with so many space shuttle missions that we’ve done, I think it’s just sort of natural that each one hasn’t necessarily gotten the attention that the early ones did.” — Ellen Ochoa

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The Best Ellen Ochoa Quotes

Check out some of the best quotes from Ellen Ochoa.

18. “Being an astronaut is a wonderful career. I feel very privileged.” — Ellen Ochoa

19. “It’s fun to work the robotic arm in part because it’s really a team effort.” — Ellen Ochoa

20. “We run the programs, and we support them through all of our folks, but usually the hardware is somewhere else.” — Ellen Ochoa

21. “We continue to not only operate the International Space Station but to increase its capabilities as well as commercial contributions.” — Ellen Ochoa

22. “I think what we have always brought to NASA and brought to the country is trying to push the boundaries, trying to go to the next level.” — Ellen Ochoa

23. “We are involved in technology development for, you know, missions that we hope to plan that would take us to an asteroid and eventually to Mars.” — Ellen Ochoa

24. “These robotic arms, provided by Canada, have been invaluable in allowing us to build, maintain, and repair space structures, and I’ve been very fortunate to have gotten to operate them.” — Ellen Ochoa

25. “There was a lot of light and a lot of rumbling and vibration, especially the first minute or minute-and-a-half. And then after about two minutes, when the solid rocket boosters separated, the ride got a lot smoother.” — Ellen Ochoa