Beverlye Middle School Science Teacher Patty Van Landingham
(center) looks on excitedly as former Astronaut Bill Shepherd
autographs a photo.                                  

Photos by:  Inga Oberst

DOTHAN – For two weeks each year, talk of space exploration fills Sonya Lewis’ 8th grade classroom. Now the Beverlye Middle School teacher can include the story about the time she spoke with an astronaut. Lewis met Bill Shepherd, first commander of the International Space Station, during Aerospace Day 2005 at Troy University.  

“His picture is in our text,” Lewis said, as she pointed to an autographed photo of Shepherd. “It is going to mean a lot (to my students). For me to get that close to an astronaut for them is awesome.”

A recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for Space, Shepherd took part in four missions and logged over 159 days in space. The former astronaut was one of several high profile space experts who took part in the Dothan Campus event, which was sponsored by the Wiregrass Math & Science Consortium.

Sonya Lewis shows off an autographed photo of former Astronaut
Bill Shepherd. Lewis plans to share the photo with her 8th grade
class at Beverlye Middle School in Dothan.

“I spent 17 years with NASA,” Shepherd said. “NASA’s job is to go to strange places and explore, but also to come back and tell people about it. That is what education is about. It is critical to catch kids early in school and get them excited about learning.” 

Teacher Patty Van Landingham could not wait to share what she learned with her students at Beverlye Middle School. “It will be a great surprise for them,” Van Landingham said. “With the information I can bring back to them, I hope it will stimulate their interest in science.”  

The Wiregrass Math & Science Consortium partnered with the Alabama Education Association (AEA) to make the program available to teachers, pre-service teachers and system Aerospace Celebration coordinators. Presenters included Ed Buckbee, founder of the U.S. Space & Rocker Center; Cynda Fickert, 2004 State Teacher of the Year; Dr. Charley Rodriguez, of Southern Illinois University; and Dr. Patti Fritchie, a founder of the Alabama Reading Initiative. 

In its third year on the Dothan Campus, Aerospace Day is meant to ignite the imaginations of educators and their students, according to Wiregrass Math & Science Consortium Project Director Christina Johnson. “The purpose of Aerospace Day is to generate excitement among teachers,” Johnson said. “We want them to take what they learn back to their classrooms and motivate their students to take an interest in math, science and technology.”  

Buckbee, who has been affiliated with the space program for more than four decades, shared stories about what it was like to work at NASA as astronauts prepared for the first walk on the moon. The author of The Real Space Cowboys founded the U.S. Space Camp Program to encourage the next generation to aim for the stars. Since its inception in 1981, he estimates 500,000 children and teachers have taken part in Space Camp; and he believes educators like Van Landingham and Lewis are crucial to the future of the space program.  

“My message to teachers is that they are the most important link for the next generation,” Buckbee said. “We need to emphasize to young men and women the importance of studying science and math. We need bright young men and women who can take us to the next level of space exploration; that is back to the moon and mars.”