Rose Ferreira, 39, had a tough life, to say the least. From a poverty-stricken childhood in the Caribbean to years of homelessness, her journey to becoming a NASA intern and eventually working full-time at the space agency was nothing short of remarkable. However, in January, NASA mysteriously removed an article about her from its website as part of a larger purge of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The removal of the article left Ferreira feeling like all her hard work had been erased little by little. She anticipated this move given the political climate at the time, but it still felt like a slap in the face. As someone who went through immense struggles to get to where she is, the erasure of her story was a painful blow.
Despite the challenges she faced, Ferreira remained resilient and continued to pursue her passion for space and science. Her journey from living under a bridge in New York City to earning degrees in astronomy and planetary sciences is a testament to her determination. However, just as things were looking up, she was unexpectedly fired from NASA, adding another layer of hardship to her already tumultuous life.
