NASA Astronaut Kevin A. Ford

By DANI BARKEY
Chief Accountability Officer, Warsaw Community Schools

NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Kevin A. Ford will present a talk entitled “Follow Your Dreams” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center. Colonel Ford is a native of Indiana and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. Colonel Ford was commissioned through the ROTC program in 1982 and completed Air Force jet training. He was trained in the F-15 Eagle and later flew flight test missions in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Colonel Ford reported for duty to NASA Johnson Space Center in 2000. Colonel Ford served as pilot for space shuttle mission STS-128 to the International Space Station, which completed 219 Earth orbits in 13 days, 21 hours. In 2012, Colonel Ford launched aboard Soyuz TMA-06M “Kazbek” from Kazakhstan. After docking with the International Space Station, Colonel Ford served as the flight engineer for Expedition 33, and then assumed duties as the commander of Expedition 34. He returned to Earth on March 16, 2013, having completed 2,233 Earth orbits in 143 days, 16 hours.

SCALA, a non-profit parent organization advocating for high ability students in Warsaw Community Schools, is very pleased to bring Colonel Ford to Warsaw as part of its SCALA Speaker Series. This unprecedented event is being sponsored by the Kosciusko County Community Foundation and Warsaw Community Schools.

All fourth through sixth grade WCS students will attend Colonel Ford’s daytime lectures. The general public is invited to attend the evening event, which is free of charge. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for open seating. No tickets are required. The Warsaw Community Schools Inquiry Learning Lab will be onsite and open for tours. Student exhibits, classroom projects, and science-related club activities will be on display. Colonel Ford’s presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Questions may be directed to [email protected].