Alyssa’s Story: To Mars and Beyond!
Alyssa Carson: Future Mars Explorer
Alyssa’s Story:
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always had the dream of becoming an astronaut and going to Mars. I first got interested in going to Mars at the age of three years old, when I was watching a television show called “The Backyardigans”. In it, there are five characters that have imaginary adventures in their backyard. In one episode, they went to Mars, and I wanted to be one of those characters. After that, I asked my dad if anyone had been to Mars. He explained to me that man had been to the moon and that it would be my generation that goes to the red planet. I immediately decided that’s what I wanted to do in the future. I first started working on my dream by watching videos, looking at pictures, and studying everything I could find on Mars.
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When I was seven years old, my dad and I went to a parent-child space camp in Huntsville, AL. I loved space camp so much that I started going about twice a year. Now I am working on my scuba certification and later on my pilots license. Once I am sixteen, I will get my skydiving certification as well. I’ve visited all the NASA visitor centers in the U.S. for the NASA passport program and have attended all the NASA space camps in the world including the one in Huntsville, AL, Izmir, Turkey, and L’aval, Canada. I continue to work on my dream every day.”
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My advice to any girl who had the same dream would be to never let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish that dream. If it is something that you’re passionate about and something you really want to do, then nothing can stand in your way. So find that passion and don’t be afraid to dream big and do whatever it takes to fulfill it.
In addition to the accomplishments listed above, Alyssa is a TEDx speaker, has watched 3 shuttle launches, appeared in numerous interviews and magazines, is an ambassador for Mars One, and enjoys playing piano and soccer in her spare time!
Read more about Alyssa’s journey to start a new golden age of space exploration at her website:
You can also follow her adventures on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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