Commander John Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the first American Indian astronaut to serve with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, spoke to Stillwater High School juniors and seniors on Tuesday. The presentation was a part of the Leadership Tomorrow speaker series sponsored by the Leadership Stillwater Alumni Association.
Although Herrington was the first American Indian astronaut to walk in space, he told the students that he didn't grow up aspiring to be an astronaut and that his experiences led him there. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1984 and served three deployments in the Pacific region before being assigned as a test pilot. He was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and flew his space mission in 2002 as a mission specialist aboard STS-113.
The students found humor in Herrington's presentation that showed photos from inside his space shuttle and of him working in space. He also told that students that each mission has a patch to honor their mission and he showed and described his crew's patch which was designed by himself. He expressed the importance of science and math in his career and encouraged students not to underestimate the practical uses these skills will have in their lives.
Herrington also shared adventures of his cross-country bike ride. In 2008, he rode from Washington state to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Stillwater High School student Tim White introduced Herrington and presented him with a gift for his presentation on behalf of the group. Ms. Tommie Grant acts as the faculty liaison for the LSAA speaker series.
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Kendra Moreland
Director of Public Relations
Eskimo Joe's / Stan Clark Cos.
