When I was growing up there were three staples in my household: cornbread, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Star Trek. My father watched the show religiously and I was his convert. As a little girl, I took for granted the value that seeing the poised and strong Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on television would have on my own possibility. Now that we are all mourning the loss of Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, I’m grateful for her enduring legacy. Here are three lessons I'm taking from her incredible life: 1) Deliver excellence at every chance you get. Nichols’ television debut was in 1963 in an episode of a short lived series called “The Lieutenant.” The show was quickly canned but the producer, Gene Rodenberry, thought Nichols was unbelievable and she appeared in his next project: Star Trek. You don’t know which door or person will lead you to the next opportunity. Don’t rest on your past performance, awards, social followers or accolades. Show up and deliver...every time. 2) Lean into the typecast. For many actors, playing one solidifying character for so long leaves them feeling boxed in. Nichols used it as a way to make a difference. For over three decades she volunteered to promote diversity at NASA, helping to inspire and recruit historic astronauts including Dr. Sally Ride, the first woman and Guion Bluford, the first African-American in space. She used her role to bust stereotypes and to disrupt an industry. 3) Your career isn’t all about you. Nichols hadn’t planned on such a long run with Star Trek. In fact, she once gave her resignation letter to Rodenberry, explaining that she preferred the Broadway stage to television. But after Martin Luther King Jr. told her that her role as an intelligent and powerful Black woman on screen was accelerating the civil rights movement, Nichols went back to Rodenberry to get her job back. Some people have the luxury of simply following their passion. Some of us have a responsibility to use our gifts to advance our communities and the world. Thank you, Ms. Nichols, for dedicating your life to service in ways that no one has done before.