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The word "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "star" and
"sailor." These men and women -- Alan Shepherd, John Glenn, Jr.,
Sally Ride, to name a few -- conjure up images of bravery and
adventure. They are modern heroes, helping humanity reach for the
stars. When the space program began in 1959, there were only seven
such people in the entire country. They all were then -- or had been
in the past -- in the armed forces. Most of them were test pilots,
used to the dangers that came from "pushing the envelope." That was
only 36 years ago, and since then much has changed. Today the
Americans who make up the shuttle crews are comprised of every race,
creed, color, and gender. As of May 2, 1993, 180 men and 21 women
astronauts were Caucasian, six men and one woman were
African-American, three men and one woman were Hispanic, and two men
were of Asian descent. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, chooses its astronauts from an increasingly diverse
pool of applicants that "looks like America." Thousands of
applications come in from all over the world; from these,
approximately 100 men and women are chosen for an intensive astronaut
candidate training program every two years. "I cannot imagine a
better career. I've done more than I could ever have imagined. I'm
thankful that I've been at the right place at the right time," says
astronaut Kenneth S. Reightler. The training is demanding, but the
study time involved is no longer than that of any other professional
career requiring graduate/post-graduate study. If becoming an
astronaut is a dream, held long and steadfast, then this labor will
be one of love. The preparation for becoming an astronaut actually
begins in elementary school. "It is here that the foundations are
laid down and then built upon," comments Colonel Charlie Bolden,
Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. "Start
with the basics and get them down first ... you can't do anything
without math and science." At this level, students should read
everything they can get their hands on about astronauts and space in
general. Later, once they have found a specific field of interest,
they can begin to focus on that. But there's more than book learning
involved. Other skills Bolden feels are integral to becoming an
astronaut are: being able to work as a team player; understanding and
appreciating your ethnic, cultural, and American history; and
maintaining a grasp on current events. Bolden does not hold the
opinion that America's young people are less equipped than their
foreign counterparts. "I listen to people say that American students