Children often dream of being astronauts when they grow up. Impoverished Harford County summer school students found how to become astronauts Thursday ? from an real one.
Astronaut Thomas Jones was the perfect fit to speak to about 150 students at Havre de Grace Elementary School and about 200 students at Magnolia Elementary School, consideringtheir summer school theme, “Reach for the Stars.” Jones has launched into space four times, spending more than 52 days traveling about 20 million miles around the Earth.
He has worked as an Air Force pilot, an engineer for the CIA, and a NASA scientist developing mission concepts and studying asteroids and future robotic missions to Mars.
Jones told students they have to work hard at all subjects and gain skills in many areas to become an astronaut.
“If you?re going to be a success at anything you do in life, you can?t be really good at one thing and off at other things,” said Jones, an East Baltimore native. “So what I say is, when you?re in school, you have to have a tool box. You have to carry around an imaginary tool box.”
Lately he has taken on the role of author, working on a book about flying in World War II, after having written other books, including one for children chronicling two of his space missions, “Mission: Earth.”
Students entering first grade through fifth grade from Havre de Grace, George D. Lisby and Hall?s Cross Roads elementary schools attended. All the schools receive federal Title I funding because of students? low income and poor performance.
They were taking summer school this month because they were behind others and needed remedial classes or to make sure they don?t fall back during the summer, school officials said.
“I think summer school is important in that it teaches them learning doesn?t stop with school,” Havre de Grace Principal Joyce Stevenson said.
Jones told kids to follow three guidelines: read, be physically healthy and have a dream.
“Pick one thing you really love and follow the star,” Jones said. “But be really good at other things as you go along.”
