CEO and Author Sylvia Acevedo is Auditorium Speaker at 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting

CHICAGO - Sylvia Acevedo has worn many hats: engineer at IBM, rocket scientist at NASA, award-winning entrepreneur, commissioner on the White House Initiative for Education Excellence for Hispanics, and currently CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. In Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (Camino a las estrellas: Mi recorrido de Girl Scout a ingeniera astronáutica), Acevedo’s memoir aimed at young readers (available now), she retraces her journey from a young girl in an underprivileged New Mexico neighborhood to becoming one of the most accomplished and insightful women in modern history.  Her session will take place on Saturday, January 26, 10:00-11:00 am at the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Seattle.

As she struggled with the aftermath of loss, the difficulties of her home life, and the poverty in her neighborhood, the trajectory of her young life changed when she joined a local Brownie troop. The Girl Scouts taught her how to take control of her world and nourished her love of numbers and science. With new confidence, Acevedo navigated shifting cultural expectations at school and at home—forging her own trail to become one of the first Latinx to graduate with a master's in engineering from Stanford University and going on to become a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Acevedo’s absorbing story of overcoming obstacles with confidence, hard work, and education is an inspiration to people of all ages. She continues her work motivating and inspiring children to achieve their dreams.

Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The best Early Advance registration rates are available through December 5, 2018, Noon (Central). If you need help in making your case to attend, these resources can help.

Ways to stay in touch and get updates include: Midwinter Meeting & Exhibit website; Twitter (@alamw and #alamw19), Facebook Event, Pinterest, Instagram (#alamw19).