I think that my career and perhaps me being on the International

Hear the voice of Anne McClain, astronaut, soldier, and pioneer, whose words burn with the fire of triumph: “I think that my career and perhaps me being on the International Space Station can really show women and girls and everybody that hey, we’re not just sitting at the table, we’re leading the table.” This is not merely a statement of personal success, but a declaration of a greater truth—that the walls which once confined women’s dreams are being shattered, and the seats once denied them are now thrones of leadership. Her words rise like a banner for all who have been told to wait, to follow, to be silent. She proclaims: no longer shall we sit quietly—now we lead.

The table is no common board of wood; it is the symbol of power, of decision, of destiny. For centuries, women were barred from this table, their voices hushed, their hands bound to smaller tasks. Even when they were finally admitted, they were often told to sit politely, to listen, to serve. But McClain’s presence in the heavens, circling the earth itself, is proof that the time of silence has ended. She does not sit merely to be seen; she sits to command, to guide, to inspire. To lead the table is to claim the right not only to belong, but to shape the course of humanity.

History holds witness to those who embodied this spirit before. Consider Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who rose in the midst of war. She was not invited to the table of kings and generals, but she led them nonetheless, guided by her conviction and fire. In her day, her very presence in armor was a defiance of centuries, and though she met a tragic end, her courage carved a place for women in the memory of nations. Like McClain, she proved that leadership is not bound by gender, but by the strength of vision and the will to act.

Think also of Katherine Johnson, the African American mathematician whose calculations helped launch men to the moon. Though she did not travel to the stars herself, her mind carried the rockets beyond the earth. For too long, she worked in shadows, her brilliance unrecognized by the wider world. Yet in time, her story shone forth, showing generations of girls that their intellect could lift humanity skyward. Just as McClain stands aboard the International Space Station, Katherine Johnson’s spirit sits at the eternal table of history, reminding us that true greatness cannot be hidden forever.

The meaning of McClain’s words is thus twofold: they are a celebration of how far women have come, and a challenge for how much farther we must go. To lead the table is not only to claim a seat among men, but to reshape the very table itself, to widen its circle, to make space for all voices once silenced. It is not victory for one, but for all who follow. Each step into leadership by one woman opens the door for countless others, until leadership itself is no longer defined by gender, but by excellence and vision.

The lesson is plain: do not be content merely to be present where power gathers. Do not sit silently at the edge, grateful only to have been invited. Speak, decide, act. To the girls who dream of the stars, to the women who labor in unseen places—know that you are not meant only to follow, but to lead. And to the men, the brothers, the fathers, the leaders of this age—know that your strength is not diminished by making room for others, but multiplied when leadership is shared.

Practical actions flow from this wisdom. If you are young, seek fields once denied to you; learn boldly, train fiercely, and refuse to shrink. If you are older, mentor those who come behind you, giving them the tools to take their rightful place at the table. Celebrate the victories of women and men alike, and speak against every voice that says leadership belongs to one gender alone. For to lead the table is not the right of a few, but the calling of the worthy.

So let McClain’s words ring across the generations: we are not merely present, we are guiding, shaping, commanding. We are not only sitting—we are leading the table. And when women rise to lead alongside men, the whole of humanity rises, and even the stars themselves seem within our grasp.