Omotola O.

Beyond Stars: Roberta Bondar

Omotola O.
Anglophone East School District Regional Heritage Fair 
Moncton, NB

Roberta Bondar was the first female Canadian astronaut. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1945. “When I was eight years old to be a spaceman was the most exciting thing I could imagine.” That quote is a very famous quote from Roberta Bondar. Ever since she was a kid, she has dreamed of going into space. She loved science, experiments and photography so much that her father made a lab in the basement for her! So many people doubted her, saying that she’s never going to be an astronaut, even her high school counsellor, who was supposed to guide her, said that she had no chance. Fast forward to January 22, 1992, she made Canadian history with NASA on the Space Shuttle Discovery! She showed everyone and inspired women and little girls across Canada. She proved all the doubters wrong, saying that you can do anything that you put your mind to! Now, Roberta lives in Toronto and is a successful author and photographer, while sharing information about environmental issues through the Roberta Bondar Foundation. My final answer to my inquiry question is that she pushed through the tough barriers of stereotypes and showed everyone what they can accomplish.

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

For sources, I used reliable info like Roberta Bondar’s website, and I made sure that any information I needed I would make sure that I could find multiple sites to check the same info to verify it. My teachers also helped me source-wise. In my trifold, there was an autograph of Roberta Bondar! My social studies teacher ended up meeting her as a kid when she went to a Girl’s Guide camp! That ended up as one of my fun facts because when Roberta went into space, she also brought along some Girl Guide cookies and juggled them! These sources made me look at her work and the way she affected Canada in different ways. All of this has contributed to and made up my project as I strive to make it unique and true.   

What is the historical significance of your topic?

The historical significance of Roberta Bondar being the first female Canadian in space is amazing. She alone has moved hundreds and thousands of Canadians across the country. She only had two people supporting her, her parents, and yet she still skyrocketed into history books. She showed everyone in Canada that regardless of your gender, you can achieve anything. “I want to be remembered as someone who made a difference by getting people to believe in women.” - Roberta Bondar. This quote shows how much Roberta wants to affect Canada and wants to change it for the better. I feel like in this situation, there are no short- or long-term impacts. I think that everything ended up long-term. She inspired Canada with female empowerment and made little girls, and even fully grown women, believe that they have the power. That they have to push past the stereotypes and believe in themselves! 

Why did you choose this topic? 

I chose the topic of Roberta Bondar because some people don’t know about Roberta at all. She has inspired people with all that she has done, and I hope that my heritage fair project helped to project what she has done for Canada and make people learn more about people like her.