Read the sentences from the article "Eileen Collins—NASA's First Female Shuttle Commander to Lead Next Shuttle Mission."

On becoming an astronaut: "When I was very young and first started reading about astronauts, there were no women astronauts." However, she was inspired while she was a child by the Mercury astronauts, and by the time she was in high school and college, new opportunities were opening up for women in aviation.
What is the meaning of the word inspired?

A: influenced

B: optimistic

C: overwhelmed

D: uplifted