Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng
Dr. Kim also visited Queens College on Monday.
By Forum Staff
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) brought NASA Astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to The World’s Borough on Monday where he met and spoke with students at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows and the Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology in Flushing. Meng and Kim also hosted a luncheon with local Korean American leaders in Flushing.
Kim talked about becoming an astronaut, space exploration, overcoming challenges, and his remarkable life and career. Presently, he is the only active NASA astronaut of Korean descent.
A child of South Korean immigrants, Kim became an astronaut after serving as a U.S. Navy SEAL, receiving the Silver Star and Bronze Star, and earning a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. His NASA assignments have included support to the International Space Station Operations as a Capsule Communicator (CapCom) in Mission Control and an Increment Lead for Expedition 65. Kim also provides support to NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities.
Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng
NASA Astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim speaks to students at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows.
“I thank Jonny Kim for coming to Queens and sharing his outstanding experiences with local students who will be our next generation of leaders, some of whom may be future astronauts, doctors, scientists and experts in other crucial fields,” said Meng. “His life and career has been an inspiration to young people, and his visit served as a wonderful influence to Queens students. Thank you to Francis Lewis High School and the Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology for having us, and thank you to leaders from our borough’s Korean American community for meeting with us. I also commend all the students for the great questions they asked during his presentation.”
“It was a pleasure to visit the schools and speak to the children,” Kim added. “Children are the future and it’s important that we plant the right seeds so they can grow to become the leaders, scientists and scholars we need. The most important message I shared with them is that the only ceiling we can’t break through is the one we put on ourselves.”
