I'M KAYLA BARRON, A MISSION SPECIALIST FOR NASA'S
SPACEX CREW-3 MISSION
TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
I WAS BORN IN IDAHO,
MY FAMILY MOVED A LOT WHEN WE WERE KIDS
WE LIVED IN MONTANA, COLORADO,
BUT FOR MOST OF MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TIME
AND HIGH SCHOOL,
LIVED IN WASHINGTON STATE
IN A TOWN CALLED RICHLAND.
WHICH IS IN SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON.
I'M THE MIDDLE OF THREE GIRLS.
MY DAD'S AN ENGINEER, MY MOM'S A MATH WHIZ
AND A RUNNER.
THEY ALWAYS REALLY RAISED US TO BE OURSELVES.
WHICH WAS REALLY COOL FOR ME AND MY SISTERS
TO ALL KIND OF FIND OUR OWN PATHS.
I KNEW THAT I WOULD WANT TO FIND WAYS TO CHALLENGE MYSELF
AND BECOME A LEADER.
THAT'S HOW I FIRST GOT INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MILITARY,
AND ULTIMATELY GOT INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
WHERE I STUDIED CONTROL SYSTEMS AND ROBOTICS ENGINEERING.
WHEN I SHOWED UP AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE A FIGHTER PILOT.
WE HAVE THIS REALLY COOL TRAINING BETWEEN OUR
SOPHOMORE AND JUNIOR YEAR,
I KIND OF THINK OF IT AT LIKE THE NAVY'S
JOB FAIR. YOU GO SPEND A WEEK WITH EVERY SINGLE MAJOR
WARFARE COMMUNITY.
SURFACE SHIPS, SUBMARINES, AVIATION.
AND WHEN I GOT TO GO UNDERWAY ON A SUBMARINE,
I JUST FELT LIKE THIS IS WHERE I BELONG.
IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE,
IT'S KIND OF A FASCINATING WORLD, YOU
DEVELOP YOUR OWN LITTLE MICROCOSM UNDER THE SEA.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE AND WORK SAFELY
AND ALSO ACCOMPLISH A MISSION,
WITHIN YOUR OWN CREW.
THE TIME OF MY SUBMARINE WAS
THE MOST DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD OF MY LIFE FOR A LOT
OF REASONS BUT ESPECIALLY
BECAUSE OF THE OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND
OPERATIONAL TEAMWORK I GOT TO DO WHILE WE
WERE UNDERWAY WHEN WE WERE DEPLOYED.
I ACTUALLY NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT BECOMING
AN ASTRONAUT UNTIL AFTER SERVING ON A SUBMARINE.
FOR ME IT WAS ALL THOSE PARALLELS THAT REALLY
INSPIRED ME TO WANT TO APPLY, AND TO BELIEVE THAT I EVEN COULD.
ALL RIGHT NASA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
OUR FIRST ASTRONAUT, KAYLA BARRON.
[APPLAUSE]
I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS OFFICIALLY ON CREW-3
WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB
FOR SPACEWALK TRAINING,
AND I GOT A TEXT FROM THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE AND HE SAID
"IF YOU'RE AWAKE GIVE ME A CALL."
SO I GAVE HIM A CALL ON MY WAY INTO WORK,
AND HE SAID "KAYLA, YOU'RE ON CREW-3."
AND I WAS JUST SO EXCITED.
CREW-3 IS JUST SUCH AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL CREW, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY
BRINGS A REALLY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
AND DIFFERENT BACKGROUND.
AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN,
AND WHENEVER WE'RE FACED WITH A PROBLEM
OR HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE,
IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES AND HOW
TOGETHER WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND
COME UP WITH MORE INTERESTING SOLUTIONS.
I JUST FEEL SUPER LUCKY TO BE WITH PEOPLE
WHO ALL HAVE SUCH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND
EXPERIENCES, BUT HAVE REALLY LEARNED
HOW TO MESH AND WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
I DEFINITELY WOULD WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY FOR
SUPPORTING ME ON THIS JOURNEY. THEY'VE ALWAYS
BEEN THERE FOR ME,
AND PUSHED ME TO CHASE MY DREAMS,
AND BEEN SUPER SUPPORTIVE EVERY TIME I STUMBLE OR
FALL, HELPING ME GET BACK UP AND TRY AGAIN.
WITHOUT THEM, YOU KNOW TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE, TO PUSH ME,
I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
[MUSIC]