Emily Pritchard Cary is a published author, American columnist, and longtime teacher in Virginia and elsewhere. She was chosen as a semifinalist in the search for the first teacher in space, the "win" that ultimately went to Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger disaster.

Emily has won many awards, including placing first in the 2009 Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest. The Daughter of Ernest Markwood Pritchard and Adelaide Elizabeth Stuart, she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.