Sophia Danenberg facts for kids

Sophia Danenberg (born 1972) is an American mountain climber. She is famous for being the first African American and first black woman to climb Mount Everest. Mount Everest is the world's tallest mountain.

Sophia is also active in politics. She works as a Washington State Park Commissioner. Sophia is biracial, meaning she has parents from different backgrounds. Her mother is Japanese, and her father is black.

Growing Up

Sophia Danenberg was born in 1972 in Okinawa, Japan. Her birth name was Sophia Marie Scott. Her father was in the United States Army and was working in Japan.

When she was one year old, her family moved to the United States. Later, as a toddler, they moved back to Japan. At age six, Sophia moved again to Homewood, a suburb of Chicago. She went to Homewood-Flossmoor High School and graduated in 1990. She was also on the school's track team.

College Life

Sophia first studied math and chemistry at Harvard University. After a trip to Thailand, she changed her major. She decided to study Environmental Sciences and Public Policy. This program looked at how nature and the economy connect.

She graduated with high honors, called magna cum laude. She was one of the first five students to finish this new program. After graduating, Sophia became a Fulbright Fellow. This meant she received a special scholarship to study at Keio University in Tokyo. It was there that she first started to rock climb.

Her Work

Sophia Danenberg began her career at United Technologies Research Center. She worked on projects about energy and air quality inside buildings. In 2003, she became a Senior Engineer at Pratt & Whitney. She worked on a program to make engines more environmentally friendly.

In 2005, she joined the company's environmental, health, and safety (EHS) team. She found that the company was using a flame retardant chemical that was banned in Europe. Her discovery helped change how companies handle dangerous chemicals.

Since 2009, Sophia has worked at Boeing. She helps create rules for environmental, health, and safety issues around the world. She also helps gather ideas for these rules outside of the United States.

Getting Involved in Politics

Sophia Danenberg has helped with several political campaigns. She worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008. In 2008, she was a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. This meant she represented her state at a big meeting for the Democratic Party.

She was also a presidential elector in 2020. She voted for the Biden-Harris team. On September 17, 2019, Governor Jay Inslee chose her to be a Washington State Park Commissioner. She took the place of someone who retired. Sophia still holds this job, and her term ends on December 31, 2026. In 2021, she joined the King County Districting Committee.

Sophia also serves on the boards of several groups. These include NatureBridge, SheJumps, and the National Institute of Reproductive Health. She is also on a committee for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA).

Amazing Achievements

Climbing Mount Everest

Sophia Danenberg had planned to climb a different mountain called Cho Oyu. But because of bad weather, she decided to climb Mount Everest instead. She made this decision just one week before starting her trip.

Sophia began her climb of Mount Everest without a guide. She was 34 years old. She chose her own path, carried her own gear, and made her own choices.

On May 19, 2006, at 7 A.M., Sophia reached the very top of Mount Everest. There was bad weather during the night, which delayed other climbers. Only Pa Nuru Sherpa and his brother Mingma Tshiring saw her reach the summit. At the time, Sophia was not feeling well. She had bronchitis, a stuffy nose, and frostbite on her cheeks. Her oxygen mask was also clogged.

Sophia Danenberg became the first African American and the first black woman to reach the top of Mount Everest.