Nicole Stott is an astronaut and artist, as well as the Director of the Space for Art Foundation, a non-profit organization that creates large-scale space-themed art projects with children from hospitals, refugee centers, and schools worldwide. Their goal is to expand the youth’s interest in space and preservation of the planet. Nicole worked for NASA for over 27 years, serving as an astronaut from 2000-2015. She is also the author of the book, Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet - And Our Mission To Protect It, where she recounts her experience seeing the Earth from space and how that moved her to promote efforts in its preservation.
In this episode, you’ll hear about Nicole’s childhood experiences, her hobbies, and what motivated her to be interested in flying planes. She talks about her school life and why she chose to pursue a degree in Engineering Management. You’ll get insight on the processes involved in applying to be an astronaut and why Nicole didn’t get the job the first time. She cites the overwhelming feeling of awe she experiences upon seeing our planet from space. Nicole also discusses her artistic side and how the Space for Art Foundation uses art and space exploration to inspire children.
\"Art is a universal communicator. We can talk with anybody about anything if we\'re using art as the platform\" - Nicole Stott
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