Inspire

 

 

Christa McAuliffe was born in Boston, Mass., on September 2, 1948, and lived her life dedicated to serving young people. In 1984, while teaching at Concord High School in Concord, N.H., she was selected for the NASA Teacher in Space Project and instantly became a national icon, especially for children who saw their own teachers in her. McAuliffe was set to be the first teacher in space and planned to teach lessons filmed aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

McAuliffe never got to teach those lessons. On January 28, 1986, the Challenger lifted off from Kennedy Space Center and suffered a malfunction, tragically ending the lives of McAuliffe and six other crew members.

September 2, 2021, would have been Christa’s 73^rd birthday. We spoke with Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST and the catalyst for the 2021 Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin, about why he has been an unwavering advocate for carrying on her legacy of inspiration.

Teachers play a unique role in helping students realize their potential. Not only do they teach the science and life skills young people will need to succeed in their future careers, but they act as counselors and mentors who help students navigate barriers and decide who they want to be. Christa served this role and more for her own students. -Dean Kamen

Q: In what way does Christa embody the work that FIRST does?

KAMEN: Christa had an unabashed love of learning, plus a love of helping other people learn. She was selected to be the first teacher in space. Rather than be daunted by the opportunity, she seized it with both hands. She saw herself as a representative for all teachers. FIRST is all about the idea that anyone, regardless of background, gender, ethnicity or upbringing, is capable of doing and being more. Education and experience can give them the tools they’ll need to get there. I founded FIRST to create inspiration and recognition of science and technology. Christa embodied this in everything she did.

Q: How have role models such as Christa contributed to the rise in the number of women in STEM?

KAMEN: My mission with FIRST has always been to inspire young people to aspire to be science and technology leaders as much as they do athletes and entertainers. Role models like Christa help them see themselves in STEM and have greatly contributed to the growing number of women in these fields. Teachers play a unique role in helping students realize their potential. Not only do they teach the science and life skills young people will need to succeed in their future careers, but they act as counselors and mentors who help students navigate barriers and decide who they want to be. Christa served this role and more for her own students. Her legacy continues to teach an entire generation so much about courage, facing uncharted territory and what it means to believe in yourself.

Q: The commemorative coin honoring Christa is a tangible tribute to her memory. Is it also meant to honor all teachers and mentors?

KAMEN: The commemorative coin honoring Christa is a tangible representation of the outstanding work and dedication our teachers demonstrate every day. We hope the coin reminds people of the significant impact educators like Christa have on all students.

Q: Why was commemorating Christa so important to you?

KAMEN: My father was an illustrator who worked in comics and advertising. He’d been asked by the then-governor to use his artistic talents to make murals and other art for the New Hampshire State House to commemorate the Challenger’s historic space flight. He and my mother were present at Cape Canaveral and unfortunately witnessed the explosion firsthand. I know the experience was enormously traumatic for both of my parents.

When they returned home, I spoke with my dad about my idea for a commemorative coin. He immediately got to work on the rendering [see sketch] that would become so important as we lobbied numerous times for a congressional bill to create this commemorative coin and as it worked its way through the legislative system. While my dad is no longer with us, I know he was very proud to have supported my efforts to honor Christa in this way. I’m sure he would be thrilled to have seen our years of work finally come to fruition.

Q: How does it feel to have this mission fulfilled?

KAMEN: It’s so gratifying to finally see Christa’s legacy honored in this way. Every time I see the coin, I think not only of Christa, but of the millions of teachers around the world who are carrying on her critically important mission to inspire and empower the next generation. I’m very excited and grateful that we had the opportunity to put the FIRST logo on this commemorative coin. While sales of the coin will surely raise funds for FIRST, the overwhelming importance of this coin is that it’s the first time in the history of our country that a teacher has been featured on U.S. currency.  The coin serves as a lasting reminder of the importance of teachers in our society. I’m proud that this coin represents Christa’s legacy and the FIRST mission of inspiring future innovators who will follow in her trailblazing footsteps. 

 

FIRST teams aced FIRST founder Dean Kamen’s previous “homework assignment” calling for advocacy to make the Christa McAuliffe Silver Dollar possible. This year, Dean calls on teams to help finish the journey and continue to advocate for the Christa McAuliffe Silver Dollar coin to get it into the hands of as many people as possible. Learn more about Dean's Homework.

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If you have an inspiring story or piece of wisdom that you’ve picked up through your experiences in the FIRST community, please reach out to us at inspire@firstinspires.org and inquire about becoming a guest contributor for Inspire.