There’s another doll’s birthday coming up this month: Luciana Vega! She is one of my favorite girl of the year dolls, and she’s just out of this world! Literally! (pun intended.) Her story was so cool because it showed that you don’t have to be a boy to love outer space or want to be a scientist! In fact, it shows you don’t have to be a boy to want to do anything!
Luciana’s parents are able to send her to NASA for a summer program for children when she wins an essay contest. Space camp is a real thing at NASA that you can be a part of, and it is really difficult to get in! Only the brightest and most accomplished students are able to make it. Doing so is a huge achievement. While there Lucianna is able to experience all sorts of opportunities. She designs a robot, performs training exercises in zero gravity, and even gets to be a co-pilot in a flight simulator! Lucianna becomes the leader of her own team of girl participants, and through working together, they are able to accomplish more than the boy teams do in the program. Luciana’s story is a huge step forward in making STEM more accessible to non-males, or all genders who are not assigned male at birth.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related fields, have been historically male-dominated and the media reflects that. How many times have you seen a male astronaut on T.V., and how many times have you seen a non-male astronaut on T.V.? Society has pre-determined a role for non-male genders to play in life. We are expected to do certain things, are excluded from doing other things, and are supposed to be submissive and happy about it.
Then, you find stories like Luciana’s that reject that stigma and fight against it! Having a girl character go to a space camp and do well there makes a statement. Boys do not have a monopoly over careers that require dedication and schooling. There are no rules, and no limits, to what any person of any gender can want for their life. So if you are not a boy and you want to be an astronaut, or a scientist, or even a doctor, then go for it! Being able to decide what you want for your life is your right as a human. And when people tell you differently or try to decide for you, call them out on it. Show them your power.
You can explore more of Luciana’s stories and find some items from her collection at Girl AGain!
Happy birthday Luciana!
By: Yes She Can trainee Mo
Girl AGain opened in February 2014 to rave reviews from American Girl doll fans, their moms and especially their grandmas. You’ll find authentic gently used AG dolls, clothing, furniture, accessories and books that have been cleaned and prepared for sale at good prices in an easy-access store.
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