American Girl Doll Of The Year 2018 Wants To Be An Astronaut
American Girl’s newest doll wants to be an astronaut when she grows up and might encourage other kids to aspire for the same thing.
The company announced that its latest little lady, the 2018 Girl of the Year, is named Luciana Vega and “dreams of being the first person to go to Mars,” according to a statement. “While she has the skills and smarts to achieve her goals, she also learns that being a good leader and team player right here on Earth is the best first step.”
According to American Girl, the doll, which will be released Jan. 1, comes with a backstory that describes her as a confident 11-year-old who is interested in STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The accessories for the doll include a Mars habitat and a spacesuit and the company collaborated with a former NASA scientist and former astronaut on the character’s design.
“Luciana is a role model for today’s girls — empowering them to defy stereotypes, and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in life — whatever the goal,” American Girl President Katy Dickson said in the company’s announcement.
The company officially revealed the doll Dec. 28 on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Luciana’s connection to space is more tangible than the fictional character’s aspirations; American Doll is also putting on events in which kids can participate in space-related activities. That includes a summer space camp where they can design a robot and do astronaut training exercises.
American Girl is not the only company in the toy world that is focused on women in STEM. Earlier this year, Lego created a set of figurines that paid tribute to pioneering women of NASA. They included Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut to go to space; Mae Jemison, the first woman of color in space; Margaret Hamilton, who designed NASA software; and Nancy Grace Roman, an astronomer who is best known for her work to develop the Hubble Space Telescope.
In addition to bringing a STEM-focused personality to American Girl, Luciana adds to the doll company’s character diversity. According to its statement, she has a Chilean heritage.
The doll is described as having “warm brown eyes, medium skin and dark brown hair with a distinctive purple streak to show off her creative side.”
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