My first ever astronomy class at Bellaire was one period and very mixed group of students. Some were all AP/IB and some took no advanced classes at all. It was, essentially, an experiment. I had no idea what I was doing really, but it was a fun, fun class. Jess Hester heard during her junior year that I’d be teaching astronomy and was the first person to sign up. Even though the course wasn’t weighted like the AP and IB courses, she was my most enthusiastic supporter. We’ve stayed in touch. She went to Harvey Mudd College in California and majored in mathematics and computer science. She got a job at SpaceX, the Elon Musk owned commercial space company.
Today she came to my current astronomy classes which are now IB astronomy and represent the a more rigorous course. The students are still a mix. She brought some SpaceX giveaway stuff too. Patches, pens, lanyards, and stickers. Awesome stuff. The kids asked great questions and Jess was smart and informed and very impressive. We all had a great time and I’m glad she agreed to come talk.
