Nerds are cool

 

Space Camp circa 1990. Nerds are cool. (We even pinch-rolled our flight suits.)

This topic came up at dinner last night, and it was fun to reminisce. I attended Space Camp (Space Academy for older students) during the summer before my senior year in high school. What an amazing experience it was! I was in the pilot section, evidenced by my snazzy green jump suit.

I felt out of my depth among the other students. Gosh, they were so smart! We took classes in subjects such as engineering, meteorology and physics. As I told people, "I can DO the math. I just don't LIKE to do the math." Those kids? They liked to do the math.

We were split into two groups: Blue and Red teams. I was on the Blue Team. We spent the week in class and in various simulators, learning how to fly the shuttle, work on the space station, etc. During the week, we were tested on everything. The end game? A simulated, real-time 24-hour space shuttle mission where we were tasked with launching the shuttle, docking with the space station, performing various tasks then returning home all while computers simulated different emergencies and conditions we had to overcome.

After a week of tests and preparation, we were chosen for specific roles for the mission. I am sad to say I was NOT chosen as commander or pilot of the shuttle. A trivial matter of crashing during re-entry during my test earlier in the week kissed that dream goodbye. And knowing - without a doubt - that I wasn't the smartest person in my classes left me very nervous the day assignments came out. I was so sure I was going to get a spot as back-up test tube cleaner on the space station. Haha!

So imagine my surprise when our counselors chose me - ME - to be flight director for Blue Team, leading a group of 25 on the 24-hour mission. That's right. They put ME in charge of the whole thing. The chick who crashed the shuttle earlier in the week! Were they crazy?!

I'm proud to report that we successfully completed our mission - unlike the jokers on the Red Team who failed.

I share this story because that week taught me something. That no matter what our doubts about ourselves might be, we all have special talents. We don't have to be the smartest, the most gifted person in the room to be a leader or to be successful.

Sometimes we just need others to believe in us until we learn to believe in ourselves. And that's something every student in this country deserves. And I hope that's something our Spoofhounds are shown each and every day.