PASCO, Wash. — Students at Ochoa Middle School and Orion High School got a special visit on Wednesday from retired astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the woman both schools are named after.
Ochoa served as a former NASA Johnson Space Center director and is the first Hispanic woman to travel to space.
During Tuesday’s visit, she told students about her four space missions, shared narrated footage from her time in orbit and answered questions.
The event also featured musical performances, including an original piece inspired by Ochoa’s message to students to reach for the stars.
Dr. Ochoa urged students to stay curious, work hard and keep chasing big goals.