This incredible woman is 35 year-old Hadiya-Nicole Green. She's a physicist who wants to do research into laser technology to kill cancer and she's just won just over a million dollars to do it.
Green is an assistant professor at Tuskegee University and is the first woman to win a five year grant from the Veterans Administration Research Scientist Training Program which is geared towards nurturing black scientists.
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She wants to inspire other black girls and change peoples perceptions of their capabilities. Green told TakePart: "When someone says, scientist, I want them to think of someone other than Albert Einstein.
Personal Journey
Green had a personal story that inspired her. She was raised by her aunt and uncle who both had cancer and her aunt died when she was just 22 and recently graduated from university with a Physics degree. Her uncle also died shortly afterwards. When her aunt died, she decided that she would try and do something towards the fight against cancer and shifted her research focus from optical communications to cancer treatment. The award would enable her to focus on her laser technology and conduct trials.
Perseverance
Green didn't immediately win the lottery with this grant. In fact she applied for the grant multiple times before she finally got it. She firmly believes that this sort of tenacity is required by anyone that wishes to have a career in science.
Since winning the grant Green has setup a Facebook account and has already amassed 3000 followers and she has friends that are helping her with her Twitter account. She has received countless emails from young black women who have been inspired and want to emulate her success. They have said that now they have a role model like Green, they can see first hand that it is possible to follow in her footsteps and become scientists themselves.