Every year, American Girl releases their new doll of the year. This year, Luciana Vega was named the new 2018 American Girl doll. She is a bright and creative eleven-year old astronaut who aspires to walk on Mars. Now, what makes the new American Girl doll out of this world? Luciana is a Chilean-American who is interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field! She is a great example to young girls across the world.
Katy Dickson, the American Girl president, describes her as a, “role model for today’s girls [by] empowering them to defy stereotypes, embrace risks and failures, and chart their own course in life.” Luciana is the first American Girl to promote an interest in the STEM field.
According to ABC News, “American Girl worked with Dr. Megan McArthur Behnken, a NASA Astronaut; Dr. Ellen Stofan, former NASA chief scientist; Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center; and Maureen O’Brien, the manager of strategic alliances at NASA, in order to develop Luciana’s background story.” Along with the Luciana doll, a three-book series about Luciana was also released. It highlights her achievement, winning a scholarship to Space Camp. Dr. Ellen Stofan adds,
“Girls are sometimes intimidated by STEM careers because they think they have to be perfect in math or the top of their class. But what [they] really need to have is determination, the spirit to pick [themselves] up when [they] make a mistake and keep going. I really think it’s that determination, that will, the ability to come back from failure, that are the most important characteristics. I hope that girls who read these books are inspired by these tales of failure but persistence.”
It is important that the achievements of women in the STEM field are highlighted, as they are often overlooked and ignored. Luciana is a great role model for young girls across the world by inspiring them to follow their dreams and act as leaders in a field that is typically dominated by males. American Girl, as a brand, has a great influence over young women’s perception of themselves. It is great to see that they are doing their part to empower women in the sciences.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/health/luciana-vega-american-girl-astronaut-trnd/index.html
http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/american-dolls-2018-latina