At age eight, I sat in the Mission Control, gazing in wonderment at the consoles and displays tracking the whereabouts of the orbiting shuttle, as the flight control team worked to solve problem after problem during a simulation. I watched in awe as a group of people worked together to help humans live and work in space…the same space that all of my astronomy books talked about, the ones I sat and poured over from an even earlier age.
I left that day, proclaiming to my mother that I would one day work in Mission Control.
Seventeen years later, I half realized that dream, when I sat in Mission Control for the first time and spoke to the crew onboard the International Space Station, whom I had trained. I left that night, my footsteps echoing across the empty parking lot, knowing that I was well on the way towards contributing to a legacy left by the spaceflight pioneers of yesteryear.
As I’ve worked towards fulfilling this dream, I’ve realized the value of all of the formative events throughout my life that have shaped the person I’ve become today, and moreover, continually prepare me to accomplish my goals. As a child, I sat, nose in science books on a regular basis. I designed my own experiments, to apply all of the concepts I read about in those very books and at school. I pursued an engineering degree in college that equipped me with the understanding of and ability to apply principles essential to spaceflight operations. Each day I spend as an astronaut instructor, I gain insight and appreciation for the training that crewmembers undergo to prepare for spaceflight.
Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to give a talk to the participants of one of NASA public engagement efforts - the STS-132 Tweetup. Though apprehensive at first at the thought of speaking to so many people, I came out of the experience having a deep-seated appreciation for the role that public engagement plays in any organization’s mission, particularly those that strive to educate and excite the public about science and technology. The experience ignited in me a passion for engaging the general public in dialog about my job, about NASA, about my passions, and it’s created in me a sense of obligation to share my experiences and opportunities with those around me.
Each leg of my own journey in life thus far has prepared me in some manner to come closer to realizing the childhood aspiration I proclaimed was mine at such an early age. My avid enthusiasm for science and math has led me to a great number of opportunities and adventures, ones that I’ve been fortunate to share with others. And if given the opportunity, a “Month at the Museum” could afford me another formative event that will further shape me and help me share the value and excitement of science and technology with the world.
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