Farmworker turned astronaut Jose Hernandez urges kids not to give up
Next year Netflix will begin production on a film about Jose Hernandez's life and journey into space.
FRESNO, Calif. -- Former NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez spent most of his youth working the fields.
So many kids have struggled with remote learning, but Hernandez wants them all to know when it comes to their future, the sky's the limit.
As a young boy, Hernandez picked fruits and vegetables alongside his family.
"We spent nine months in California, three months in Mexico, but those nine months I went to three different school districts," he explained.
The family settled in Stockton. Jose couldn't speak English until he was 12 years old, but STEM subjects spoke to him.
"I gravitated towards math because 1 + 3 is 4 in any language," Hernandez said.
When he was ten, Jose told his dad he wanted to be an astronaut, so his father laid out a five-part recipe for success.
First, set a goal. Then recognize how far away you are from that goal.
"The third thing is you have to draw yourself a road map to know where you're at to where you want to go," Hernandez added. "And then I asked what's the fourth? He said you've got to get an education."
The University of the Pacific grad called hard work the fifth ingredient.
But his path was a difficult one.
"NASA rejected me not once, not twice, not three times but 11 times. It wasn't until the 12th time that I got selected," he said.
Hernandez would blast off with the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009.
"It's a ride that even Disneyland would be envious of because you go from zero to 17,500 miles an hour in eight and a half minutes," he recalled.
Jose worked on the International Space Station during the 14-day trip, which covered 5.4 million miles.
"I wish we had a frequent flyer program," Hernandez laughed.
He circled the globe 217 times but remains a down to Earth guy who tells kids how to realize their own dreams.
"Hard work and perseverance and not being afraid to dream big," he said.
Next year Netflix will begin production on a film about Jose Hernandez's life and journey into space.
