The Final Frontier

Years ago, I met my favorite astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison (100 Year Starship) and astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson within hours of each other. To say I was starstruck is an understatement. (Yes, yes, I know.) Then, that same month, I sat next to Nichelle Nichols on a cross-country flight. You'll remember her as Commander Uhura on the original Star Trek series. An actress and singer, she was also an instrumental figure in recruitment for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). We talked the entire flight and, to date, it still stands as one of the most intriguing conversations I've had in life. She encouraged me to --among other things-- develop a curiosity and love of space and the cosmos and to "get involved with #NASA." Great advice, sure. But I remember thinking, "Now, how in the world am I going to do that?" Well, y'all, THIS is a start.