Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space, has her very own Barbie doll! The 27-year-old has joined the list of celebrities—such as singers Gloria Estefan and Celia Cruz and former Miss Universe Andrea Meza, among many other women—who have been honored by Mattel with their own Barbie doll.
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Katya received her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UCLA and is currently working toward her master's degree at Johns Hopkins University. She is an electrical engineer, science communicator, and a Space for Humanity Citizen Astronaut. She started working at NASA as an intern while pursuing her undergraduate degree; then she became a test lead for the Europa Clipper Ground Support Equipment group. At her young age, Katya has contributed to five NASA missions. She became the first Mexican-born woman to go to space, as part of Space for Humanity's Citizen Astronaut program, launched on June 4, 2022. She was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, on June 15, 1995.
Here is Katya's Barbie doll.
The doll has a dark complexion, the same haircut as Katya, and, of course, a navy blue astronaut suit with a patch that bears her name. On it, you can also see "Space for Humanity," which is the name of the organization that selected Katya to go to space.
Katya is such an inspiration for ALL women.
"At 7 years old, when I used to pretend my Barbie was an Astronaut traveling through the galaxy, I could never have imagined I would one day have my very own Barbie," Katya wrote on Instagram.
Katya's doll is part of Mattel's Barbie Role Models campaign.
This campaign honors legendary women who have made an impact in the world—and who are true role models. Also represented on the new launch this year are space scientist and science educator Maggie Aderin-Pocock, marine researcher and microbiologist Antje Boetius, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, 23andME CEO Anne Wojcicki, and professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at UCSF Janet Wojcicki. "It is such an honor to be a part of the Barbie Role Models campaign. During this campaign they wanted to honor impactful women around the world and I get the beautiful opportunity to represent Latin America. This one-of-a-kind Barbie is here to represent all little brown girls who dream of the stars!✨ #TuPuedesSerloqueQuierasSer," Katya wrote on Instagram.
"Seeing is believing. Barbie knows that #YouCanBeAnything, but with women severely underrepresented in science and technology, future generations of girls need more role models to show them what’s possible," the Barbie Instagram account said about this campaign. "That’s why this #InternationalWomensDay, Barbie is proud to recognize seven female leaders in #STEM whose success can remind girls of their own limitless potential, and help us to continue closing the Dream Gap."
In the past, Mattel has honored other Latinas, such as singer Celia Cruz, businesswoman Adriana Azuara, writer Julia Alvarez, legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and more.
Katya's mom has been instrumental in her success.
In November 2022, she did an interview with editorial director of MamásLatinas Yoselín Acevedo and shared that it is very important to motivate children to fulfill their dreams. "When my mother told me that I could, they were not just words, because I could see it in her eyes, I could see it in her face, I could feel it in her heart, that she believed it, so much so that, eventually, I believed it too," she said.
Can fans buy Katya's Barbie doll?
Unfortunately, Katya's doll is one of a kind, and it is not for sale. "These are one-of-a-kind dolls created to celebrate these amazing women, and are not for sale," reads a statement on Barbie's Facebook profile.
