Dear Mr Cranston, I’m Layla Berry from East Franklin Junior High School. I am the one who talked to you about how I wanted to work at NASA when I get older. I just wanted to tell you my story.

It all started when I was in 5th grade, sitting at my desk, watching the moon landing in 1969. Before that, I was thinking that this would be like any other ordinary thing that we had learned in my grade. Once I began to watch Neil Armstrong take his first steps off the lunar module, I thought of how special that moment was to me. A literal human being stepping off onto a planet that we never even thought we were going to step on due to risks and challenges. But they overcame them, and they made it. I was absolutely astonished by that little moment, so that’s when I started to realize that this was something I’m interested in, Space.

I have done a lot of research on how they build the rockets, how it functions, and how to fly it, I read books about space and space missions, I even tried to write a letter to Kennedy Space Center about how I can become a worker for NASA once I get older. I didn’t get my letter back, sadly. 

But then came the day that you and your other partner came to see us February 3 at our school, doing activities with us and telling your story from how you were a young adult that dropped out of college a few times, to where you are now in life with your career. Once you told the class that you helped make part of the space shuttle’s external tank and the Hubble space telescope, I couldn’t  help but be filled with excitement that I could finally talk to someone about something I am interested in doing once I’m older. Once I talked to you, you were kind to me and understood where I was coming from in my point of view. I am really happy that you came to my school, and you are an inspiration for me to keep shooting towards my dreams.

I believe that anybody is capable of doing what they want in the future if they work hard and are determined for it. I believe that I can do it. I believe that my kids in my class can do it. I believe that everyone can do it. 

– Layla Berry