 Girls need to see themselves represented in astronomy. And it actually turns out to be more important than you might think. Have you ever heard of the draw scientist experiment? And starting back in 1966, the first decade of the test, over 99% of the children drew male scientists. Over time there's been a great change in the children's drawings. We do a similar activity that's called draw an astronomer. Why do you think the children just aren't as likely to draw female astronomers? We can't fix all of the problems that make science inaccessible for girls and women, but we can be part of the solution. Let me tell you a story. How many of you have watched the original Star Trek? If so, you probably know who this woman is, Nichelle Nichols. She played Lieutenant Uhura. She was one of the senior officers on the bridge. She went to a banquet and she was told that she was going to meet her biggest fan. She thought it might just be another Trekkie, but it turned out to be Martin Luther King, Jr. He said it was the only show that he and Coretta would let his kids watch because she was an equal officer on the bridge of the enterprise. He told her that she was in a vital role, not just as a model for black children and young women across the country, but for all people who saw blacks and whites working together side by side. And he was right. Her role had important consequences. You may know this woman, Mae Jemison. She was the first African-American female astronaut. And she said, as a little girl growing up on the south side of Chicago in the 60s, I always knew I was going to be in space. She credits watching Lieutenant Uhura on the spaceship enterprise every week as her inspiration to reach for the stars. This story shows us the importance of role models in bringing more women into astronomy. But what if you can't role model? No problem. You don't have to be a woman to be a role model to girls. Even though I don't have firsthand knowledge of the experience of black Americans, I can still tell that story about Nichelle Nichols and the importance of her role. And in the same way, it's important for you to sprinkle diverse stories of female astronomers and astronauts into your public engagement to inspire the next generation of young women to feel welcome in astronomy. Make sure that they see a space for themselves in science. The truth is there are many women who have contributed to the study of astronomy, expanding our understanding of the universe. Often these women have been overlooked or forgotten, but by telling their stories, we can show visitors that there's a place for everyone in astronomy. When I show Saturn and someone asked me what the rings are made of, I tell them how Carolyn Porco discovered seven of the moons around Saturn as the head of the Cassini imaging team. And she had the nickname the Queen of the Rings because of her extensive knowledge of all those rings in the outer planets and is a world expert on my favorite moon, Enceladus. I've long admired Annie Jump Cannon, who was a esteemed astronomer who came up with the system of classifying stars by color and temperature. What's the story you often tell at the telescope or in response to a common question? See if you can work a woman's scientific contribution into one of your go-to stories. You'll never know who you inspire. Get your own inspiration from some of the sources listed below and make your public engagement more welcoming by telling the whole story.