“I was very blessed in always knowing what I wanted to do, and by the grace of God I’ve been able to succeed in my chosen career.” ~ Nichelle Nichols

My best friend and I had recently discovered sci-fi conventions, specifically Star Trek conventions. We drove to one of the cities north of Seattle and had the fortune of finding a seat for Nichelle Nichols’ panel. I brought my copy of her autobiography with me to a) have something to read when standing in line, b) maybe let my friend borrow it in exchange for her book, and c) foolishly see if I could get it signed.

I didn’t expect to be one of the first in line for the latter, where rows of Klingon-dressed security kept reminding everyone: “No personalization, no conversation. Keep moving.”

In a soft voice, almost whispering, I thanked her for being my role model, and then she asked for my name. I froze as my friend told her.

Two of the Klingon security from either side stepped towards me as Nichelle kept talking to me, personalizing my book, and thanked me for being there.

I’ve fond memories of watching reruns of the original series with my favorite uncle. He’d lean over and whisper, “She went to the stars; you can, too.”

Thank you, Nichelle.