To the editor:
On March 9, SAD 42 was delighted to be part of one of the most exciting events to take place in Aroostook County in recent years — the visit of NASA Astronaut Pam Melroy to northern Maine. If you weren’t able to see her speak in person, you probably heard or read about Melroy’s visit, which was covered so well by both local and statewide media. It is a rare treat to get a visit from an astronaut, but our area was especially lucky to be hosting only the second female shuttle commander in the history of NASA.
What I want to clarify is that SAD 42 was only one part of a coordinated effort to bring Astronaut Pam Melroy here. As you know, behind every great story is another great story, and I’d like to share with you the behind-the-scenes story, as I have pieced it together, of how a small, rural area like ours was able to be one of the successful few — out of thousands of institutions, schools and organizations that submit requests to NASA each year — to host an astronaut.
It all started at the very end of 2007 when SAD 42 hired Instrumental Music Teacher and Band Director Adam Metzler. It turned out that his aunt, Pam Melroy, was an astronaut. Of course, we wanted to know what we had to do to bring her here, but quickly learned that it was a very complicated process. Six months later an important coincidence occurred. Dr. Bonnie Wood, a biology professor at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, attended her reunion at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and heard a great presentation by a fellow alumna, Pam Melroy.
After the reunion, Dr. Wood was talking with Deb McGann, a friend and colleague from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, about this wonderful presentation she’d heard and McGann suggested they ask Melroy to come to northern Maine.
Dr. Wood was able to get in touch with Melroy, who said she would be interested in coming to the area — especially if she could also visit SAD 42 where her nephew Adam Metzler teaches — but that all the arrangements had to be made and approved through NASA’s Astronaut Appearances Office. Suffice it to say that it took many months and a great deal of paperwork, e-mail correspondences and travel arrangements to make it all happen, and that without Dr. Wood’s hard work, persistence and willingness to collaborate, Col. Melroy’s visit would not have been possible.
It has been our pleasure to work with Dr. Bonnie Wood in helping make this historic event happen and I would like to recognize her for all the work she did to arrange this visit. Having Pam Melroy speak to students at MSSM, to hundreds of community members during a public presentation at UMPI, and to the entire SAD 42 student body and students from Easton High School was a rare and wonderful opportunity.
Dr. Bonnie Wood’s tireless effort, support from Deb McGann at MSSM, funding from UMPI’s Distinguished Lecturer Series, and the fact that her nephew Mr. Metzler teaches here at SAD 42 were all important parts of a collaborative effort which made it possible to bring NASA astronaut Col. Pam Melroy to “The County”.
What an honor and privilege it was for SAD 42 to be a part of this historic visit.
SAD 42 superintendent
