Editing Roberta Bondar (section)

== Early life and education ==
Bondar was born in [[Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|Sault Ste. Marie]], Ontario, on December 4, 1945, the second daughter of Mildred (Gourlay) and Edward Bondar.<ref name="CSA2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biobondar.asp|title=Biography of Roberta Bondar|date=November 12, 2003|publisher=[[Canadian Space Agency]]|access-date=September 20, 2016}}</ref> Her father, a manager with the city's Public Utilities Commission and her mother, an educator who taught business and commerce, encouraged their children academically and in extra-curricular activities.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sault Ste. Marie Public Library |title=Dr. Roberta Lynn Bondar: Canada's first female astronaut |url=http://saulthistory.ssmpl.ca/Bondar_Bio.html |website=Sault History Online |publisher=Sault Ste. Marie Public Library |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref>

Her fascination with the sciences began as a child. When she was 7, her father built a lab in the basement where she conducted experiments.<ref name="CSA2011" /> In grade school she was awarded first place for an oral presentation on waterpower.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sault Star staff. |title=Oratory winners decided at H&S |work=Sault Daily Star |date=April 11, 1957}}</ref> But space flight particularly held her imagination. She built rocket models, and her aunt, who worked at [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|Cape Canaveral]], would send her posters and crests from the U.S. space program.<ref>{{cite web |last1=The Current |title=Refusing to be ignored, Roberta Bondar took up space as Canada's 1st female astronaut |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-july-18-2019-1.5214916/refusing-to-be-ignored-roberta-bondar-took-up-space-as-canada-s-1st-female-astronaut-1.5214941 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=9 May 2025 |ref=Jul 18, 2019}}</ref>

An experience in grade school of being passed over for an opportunity for a boy classmate who hadn't scored as well on a qualification exam made Bondar especially driven to prove herself academically. She later explained that she wanted "to be as qualified as possible, so if people didn't want me, they'd have to say, look, you're a woman and I don't think you can do it."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=BIC&u=vic_ehc&id=GALE%7CK1619001542&v=2.1&it=r&sid=BIC&asid=2acb1590|title=Gale In Context: Biography – Document – Roberta L. Bondar|website=go.gale.com|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref>

She attended [[Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School]] in Sault Ste. Marie, graduating in 1964.<ref name="CSA2011" /> A science project she conducted on the biology of the [[forest tent caterpillar]] won a local [[Rotary International|Rotary]] science fair award and was promoted to the 1963 Canada-wide science fair in Toronto.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sault Star staff |title=Science Fair (photo) |work=The Sault Daily Star |date=May 8, 1963}}</ref> The project also earned her a summer job studying the [[spruce budworm]] at what is today the federal [[Great Lakes Forestry Centre]].

Bondar was also an accomplished athlete in high school, rising to captain of her basketball team. She was named the school's sportswoman of the year in 1963.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sault Star staff |title=[Tops in Sports (photo) |work=The Sault Daily Star |date=May 24, 1963}}</ref>  At graduation in 1964, she received the school's athletic leadership trophy and scholarship.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sault Star staff |title=Students get 19 awards |work=The Sault Daily Star |date=September 14, 1964}}</ref>

Bondar received an extensive university education in the sciences and medicine.<ref name=":1" /> She received a Bachelor of Science in [[zoology]] and agriculture from the [[University of Guelph]] (1968), a Masters of Science in experimental [[pathology]] from the [[University of Western Ontario]] (1971), a Doctor of Philosophy in [[neuroscience]] from the [[University of Toronto]] (1974), and a [[Doctor of Medicine]] from [[McMaster University]] (1977).<ref name="CSA2011" /> Part of her undergraduate research experience included work with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Forestry.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=BIC&u=vic_ehc&id=GALE%7CK1619001542&v=2.1&it=r&sid=BIC&asid=2acb1590|title=Gale In Context: Biography – Document – Roberta L. Bondar|website=go.gale.com|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref>