Jose Hernandez
Migrant Farmworker Turned NASA Astronaut
Jose Hernandez spent much of his childhood working side by side with his parents and siblings picking crops across the San Joaquin Valley. Despite their humble beginnings, Jose’s parents always stressed to their children the importance of education and the need to work hard to achieve their dreams. At the age of nine, Jose watched in amazement as Apollo 17 brought men to the moon. From that day, Jose was determined to do whatever it took to become an astronaut. The hard work paid off. In 2004, Jose reached a lifelong goal of becoming a NASA astronaut, and in August 2009 he flew on a 14-day mission as the flight engineer on the Space Shuttle Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station. Today, his new mission is to travel across the country making sure the American Dream is there for all children, just as it was for him.
Jose Hernandez was born in French Camp, California in 1962. For much of his childhood, Jose worked side by side with his parents and siblings picking crops across the San Joaquin Valley. Despite their humble beginnings, Jose's parents always stressed to their children the importance of education and the need to work hard to achieve their dreams. After hard days in the field, Jose's father warned his children that without an education, they would continue to work in the fields, and their future would be "on their hands."
He reached for the stars. At the age of 9, Jose watched in amazement as Apollo 17 brought men to the moon. From that day, Jose was determined to do whatever it took to become an astronaut. With the support of his parents he laid out a roadmap for getting from the fields to the stars. In high school he participated in Upward Bound, a program designed to give disadvantaged youth help with math and science, graduating from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and eventually a Master's Degree in Engineering from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Helped develop lifesaving mammograms. Jose went on to become an engineer at the prestigious Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In his time at Livermore, Jose was recognized for his work helping to develop a way to turn Cold War technology into the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, which has become an invaluable tool in increasing the early detection of breast cancer. Jose was also nationally recognized for his work on behalf of both the Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. These issues continue to be important to him today.
Never giving up on his American Dream... Becoming an astronaut was not automatic. Jose applied to NASA 12 times and after failing the make the cut, he strove to improve himself, received his pilot's license, became a master SCUBA diver, and learned to speak conversational Russian.
And flying a mission to space. The hard work paid off. In 2004, Jose reached a lifelong goal of becoming a NASA astronaut, and in August of 2009 he flew on a 14-day mission as the flight engineer on Space Shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station.
Back here on Earth... As Jose travels across the country, he has been troubled by what he has seen. In town after town, families are struggling and parents are worried that the American Dream is disappearing for their children. His new mission is to make sure the American Dream is there for all our children, just as it was there for him.
He reached for the stars. At the age of 9, Jose watched in amazement as Apollo 17 brought men to the moon. From that day, Jose was determined to do whatever it took to become an astronaut. With the support of his parents he laid out a roadmap for getting from the fields to the stars. In high school he participated in Upward Bound, a program designed to give disadvantaged youth help with math and science, graduating from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and eventually a Master's Degree in Engineering from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Helped develop lifesaving mammograms. Jose went on to become an engineer at the prestigious Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In his time at Livermore, Jose was recognized for his work helping to develop a way to turn Cold War technology into the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, which has become an invaluable tool in increasing the early detection of breast cancer. Jose was also nationally recognized for his work on behalf of both the Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. These issues continue to be important to him today.
Never giving up on his American Dream... Becoming an astronaut was not automatic. Jose applied to NASA 12 times and after failing the make the cut, he strove to improve himself, received his pilot's license, became a master SCUBA diver, and learned to speak conversational Russian.
And flying a mission to space. The hard work paid off. In 2004, Jose reached a lifelong goal of becoming a NASA astronaut, and in August of 2009 he flew on a 14-day mission as the flight engineer on Space Shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station.
Back here on Earth... As Jose travels across the country, he has been troubled by what he has seen. In town after town, families are struggling and parents are worried that the American Dream is disappearing for their children. His new mission is to make sure the American Dream is there for all our children, just as it was there for him.
Topics:
- From Migrant Farmworker To NASA Astronaut
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