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January 21, 2006
A Heavenly Legacy
It has been twenty years since Christa McAuliffe reached for the stars. Her launch into the sky on the space shuttle, Challenger, literally became what she had previously anticipated as being, "The Ultimate Field Trip." What truly prophetic words they were.
When NASA determined that they would send a civilian into space, President Reagan decided that the individual should be a teacher. Over 11,000 educators applied for the privilege, and the finalist selected was Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher from Concord, New Hampshire. Christa viewed the space launch as an opportunity to encourage interest in space exploration and astronomy, as well as the chance to promote the teaching profession.
To prepare for the journey, she received training and was considered as part of the team by the astronauts on board. Since this space launch was a very special one, the media coverage was heavy. No one could have foreseen the impending tragedy that awaited the Challenger. Just one minute and thirteen seconds after being launched, as America watched, the space shuttle exploded.
Although she did not live to see it, her impact was profound. Through her legacy, she is still teaching. In Concord, New Hampshire, her dream lives on in the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. At her alma mater, Framingham State College, Massachusetts, there is the Christa McAuliffe Center and the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Papers, a special collection of the Henry Whittemore Library. There is an online private school named for her, Christa McAuliffe Academy, and public schools named for her in California, Florida, Washington, Texas, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Dakota, New Jersey, and Illinois. Her memory has also been honored by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.
Christa's motto was, "I touch the future: I teach." She lived up to her motto, and she is still living up to it.
Posted by Marcia Pietrala at January 21, 2006 12:36 PM
Comments
Wow -- thanks for that tribute.
So it was 20 years ago. I was a senior in high school, and it hit me really hard. One of the teachers at our school had made it past several of the first round of cuts to be chosen as the first teacher in space.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at January 21, 2006 10:45 PM
This event happened in the year I was born. My older brother was and still is a fanatic for facts about space travel. He would often mention this event to me.
Posted by: Samantha at January 23, 2006 5:14 PM
The Space Transportation System celebrated its 25th anniversary last week. I was saddened today to get a message from Pres. Boyle's office, reporting the death of Marcia Pietrala.
As a professional, as a member of the Seton Hill Community, and as a human being, Marcia will be missed.
Condolences to her family.
I've posted visitation and funeral information here:
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/nmj/015559.html
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at April 14, 2006 5:43 PM
How ironic that Marcy's last blog was "A Heavenly Legacy." We miss her and realize that, like Christa, she has touched many lives. A very private person, Marcy reached out to people in individual ways that we are only now learning about. She did this quietly and without fanfare, an example for all of us.
Posted by: Judith Koveleskie at May 11, 2006 2:42 PM