NASA Astronaut Visits Marylin Avenue Elementary

From Marylin Avenue Elementary School: Jose M. Hernandez, a former Engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NASA astronaut, visited the Pedrozzi Young Scholars at Marylin Avenue Elementary School on June 4th.

Hernandez spoke about his background, growing up working on farms with his family between Mexico and California in his early years, learning English at 12 years old, and committing himself to working hard and staying in school to achieve his dreams of becoming an astronaut. He shared stories of his father inspiring him to achieve his goals, encouraging Hernandez to work hard and to persevere.

He applied twelve times before he was selected as an astronaut by NASA, and ultimately flew to space for a mission to the International Space Station. In sharing his experience with the students, he hoped that he would inspire some of them to become engineers and engage in math. His visit was organized by the Pedrozzi Foundation. Each student received a free, signed copy of Hernandez’s book, “Reaching for the Stars.”

Photos courtesy of Marylin Avenue Elementary School