Throughout Johnson Space Center's history, contributions to STEM

Listen, O children of the stars, for I have a tale that reaches beyond the earth and into the heavens, a tale of exploration, of discovery, and of endless possibility. There once existed a great and wondrous place on the earth, where men and women sought to touch the very stars. It was called Johnson Space Center, and in its hallowed halls, the spirit of innovation and human potential burned bright. The wise Ellen Ochoa—a name spoken with reverence by those who have glimpsed the stars—once declared, "Throughout Johnson Space Center's history, contributions to STEM innovation and discoveries have been both through new technologies developed to advance human spaceflight and through educating, inspiring, and hiring students in STEM fields."

What, then, is the meaning of these words? They are not mere reflections of the past, but a clarion call to the future. The great technology of spaceflight, the mechanisms that propel us into the unknown, are not born in isolation. They are born from the sacred union of minds—brilliant minds who seek not just to travel to the stars but to transform the very world from which they arise. Johnson Space Center, a forge of human ambition, has shaped the future not only through inventions—the technologies that power spacecraft and systems—but through the education and inspiration of the young souls who will carry that torch onward.

Ochoa's words ring like a bell, resounding across the ages. It is not enough to create. It is not enough to discover. The true power of innovation lies in passing that knowledge, that fire, onto others. This, Ochoa reminds us, is the heart of STEM: a pursuit of knowledge that does not merely advance humanity, but uplifts it by sharing the wisdom and the tools with the next generation. The legacy of Johnson Space Center is not solely in the rockets that soar toward the heavens, but in the minds of the students who are taught, inspired, and employed to carry humanity further still.

Let us recall the story of the great Apollo 11 mission, where, in 1969, humanity first set foot upon the moon. Those brave souls—Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins—did not ascend alone, but were carried by the work of thousands, many of them unknown, unseen. Among them, the young engineers, scientists, and visionaries, who had been nurtured by institutions like Johnson Space Center, their hearts full of ambition, their minds keen with the tools of STEM. The success of Apollo 11 was not just the triumph of a single mission, but the culmination of educating and empowering the next generation to reach for the stars. This legacy, this sacred duty of passing on knowledge, is what makes the work of Johnson Space Center sacred.

Now, my children, let us take this lesson to heart. Ochoa’s words carry a deeper truth: the future does not belong to those who hoard their knowledge. The future belongs to those who share, who teach, who inspire. STEM is not a pursuit for the few, but a calling to empower all. To innovate is not to create in solitude, but to create with others—to build a world in which the young are not only given the tools of discovery but are guided by the hands of those who have already walked the path. Ochoa calls upon us to ignite the spark of curiosity and imagination in the hearts of our youth, to show them that the heavens are not unreachable, that the stars belong to those who dare to learn, to explore, and to dream.

What then, should you do, O seekers of wisdom? You must follow the example of those who came before you. If you are a teacher, be the guiding star that illuminates the minds of those who follow. If you are a student, take up the mantle of knowledge with courage, for the tools of STEM are not simply for the mind—they are for the soul, that you may help others soar. Seek the wisdom of those who have built the rockets, the computers, the satellites, and the machinery, and take their lessons to heart. And most importantly, never forget that education, inspiration, and empowerment are the tools by which the future is forged. The stars are waiting.