First Mexican-born woman to go to space visits Parlier
"I don't take it lightly when I hear the words first Mexican-born woman in space," Kayta Echazarreta said.
PARLIER, Calif. (KFSN) -- On June 4, 2022, Katya Echazarreta crossed a milestone she'd dreamed of since she was seven years old: going to space.
The non-profit Space For Humanity initiative picked her to make a suborbital trip aboard Blue Origin's NS-21 flight -- sending her on a journey 66 miles above the Earth to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and get an unforgettable view of the Earth below.
"When I finally made it out there. When I felt gravity for the first time, when I saw planet Earth for the first time, it was the most beautiful experience you are going to have in your life, but beyond that, it's an honor and a privilege," Echazarreta said.
On Thursday morning, Echazarreta talked to hundreds of students at Parlier High School about the many barriers she faced as a young Latina.
"I am an immigrant. I came to this country when I was in the third grade, and I remember that being one of the most difficult experiences I have ever faced."
She thanks her mom for instilling a solid work ethic and constantly reminding her to follow her passion.
Hope and motivation, she says, kept her focused.
She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and now works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where she is working on some amazing science.
Most recently, she's been working on the Europa Clipper mission, which will launch in October on a mission to visit a moon of Jupiter, thought to be one of the places in our solar system most likely to harbor extraterrestrial life.
The hurdles she faced inspired her to use her platform and pay it forward, motivating future generations with similar backgrounds.
"It's always so special to me when I am able to be in a room like this where pretty much everyone here understands the immigrant struggle."
Senior Trinidad Andrade felt honored to hear Echazarreta speak and says moments like this fuel his dreams.
"She is putting us on the map. Putting us around the world," Andrade said. "She connected to a lot of us to chase our dreams and know that we can achieve it, we have her as an example."
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