Taylor Richardson ’22, known internationally for her girls in STEM advocacy and community service initiatives, was recently featured on NBC’s “Today” show and in People magazine as part the media outlets’ focus on International Day of the Girl.

Richardson was one of 10 young women in the People magazine highlight who are “making their mark – and making a difference.” The magazine showcased Richardson’s efforts through her social media persona, Astronaut Starbright: “Known to her online followers as Astronaut Starbright, Taylor Richardson has always had a fascination with the cosmos. But at 9, while attending space camp, she realized she was the only Black girl – a pivotal moment that sparked a commitment to diversifying STEM fields. ‘Other girls need to know they can be astronauts,’ says the high school senior from Jacksonville, Fla. ‘I want to bring a sisterhood of warriors to the stars.’ To date, she has raised more than $325,000 to introduce young women of color to science via space camp scholarships, book drives centered on Black authors and subjects and tickets to films like ‘Hidden Figures.’” the article reads.

On the morning of October 11, Richardson appeared on the “Today” show in a segment about “Girls Changing the World.” The segment also promoted People magazine’s feature and International Day of the Girl, which is celebrated October 11. Richardson, along with a student from Michigan whose high school community service project on medical debt, was interviewed onstage outside the Today show studios. Richardson talked about her future plans to become an OB-GYN and what has inspired her community service initiatives. Watch the segment here. Congratulations, Taylor! We are #BulldogProud