Astronaut and Activist Amanda Nguyen Stars In "Show Your(s)e.l.f." Series
Partnering with e.l.f. Cosmetics, she recounts her journey to becoming the first South Asian woman in space.
Nobel Peace Prize nominee, advocate, activist and astronaut Amanda Nguyen is teaming up with e.l.f. Cosmetics to star in its digital series, “Show Your(s)e.l.f.,” where she opens up about preparing for her upcoming space mission. In this chapter, she dives into exploring the personal and professional challenges she’s overcome and how she’s using this historic achievement to inspire women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) around the world.
Nguyen is set to become the first South Asian woman in space. “My mom and her siblings escaped Vietnam as boat refugees and they used celestial navigation to find freedom. The stars were always deeply meaningful,” she details in the video. “When I look down at Earth, I will be sobbing.” Her goal is to keep the door open, allowing many others to move towards this monumental milestone as well.
The future space explorer boasts an impressive and impactful resume, too. After experiencing sexual violence during her time at Harvard, she felt a deep calling to help others who endured similar trauma. Driven by this knowledge, she authored and successfully passed “The Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights” through both the United States Congress and the United Nations. Following this, she founded Rise, a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering survivors of violence and other crimes to shape, influence and change laws that hurt them. In addition to her advocacy work, Nguyen is set to release her memoir, Saving Five, which chronicles her journey of healing and resilience in the wake of her assault.
You can watch the full episode of the series below or visit the brand’s YouTube channel for more.
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