‘You can do it too’: NASA astronaut shares story at USI’s ‘Solarpalooza’
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The University of Southern Indiana is kicking off ‘Solarpalooza’ with a visit from a former NASA astronaut.
People had the chance to hear from Space Shuttle Discovery astronaut Joan Higginbotham and her incredible journey into space.
Higginbotham says the eclipse Monday will provide people a small glimpse into what that experience was like. She hopes seeing that celestial event will inspire the next generation to believe anything is possible.
“It’s inspiring, but the one thing I want people to take away other than it’s inspiring is you can do it too,” she said.
Higginbotham participated in 53 shuttle launches and logged more than 308 hours in space.
“I was always encouraged to do my best, and I knew if I put my mind to anything and I gave it my all, be it blood sweat and tears to go along with it, that I could achieve it,” Higginbotham said.
The third African American woman to travel into space, an electrical engineer and owner of her own aerospace consulting firm, Higginbotham says it all started for her as girl scout in the south side of Chicago.
“It really instilled a lot of things in me. it’s instilled teamwork,” said Higginbotham. “It instilled being resourceful and I think those things came into play as I became an astronaut.”
Evansville area girl scouts came out to USI Sunday evening to hear Higginbotham’s story, even receiving a special merit badge to commemorate the occasion.
“I want to ask her how it was in space and did she get to touch any of the planets,” said one girl scout, Jaezah Pringle.
Pringle says meeting the astronaut has changed her idea of what’s possible.
“I think that it inspires me to do well in my career, and it also inspired other girls like me,” said Pringle. “She kept pushing and, in the end, she got the job she wanted and the career.”
With millions of Americans set to turn their attention to space for Monday’s eclipse, Higginbotham says it’s an opportunity for girls like Jaezah to shoot for the stars.
“When you have something like this happen, maybe some kid will say, maybe I can get to go to the moon, or maybe I can get to go to mars,” said Higginbotham.
USI’s ‘Solarpalooza’ continues Monday through totality featuring live music, food trucks and expert presentations around campus.
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