SAN ANTONIO — Wearing a vibrant black dress emblazoned with the image of an eclipse, City Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia was all smiles watching about 500 kids from District 4 at an over-the-top eclipse-watching party.
Rocha Garcia said she got the idea to plan a big bash after an annular eclipse shadowed the region last fall.
"I was with a few hundred kids at the annular eclipse in October, I just saw their faces and they were so excited that I can't wait to see their reaction today with totality," Rocha Garcia said. "I have been counting down to the eclipse for years! People have thought I was crazy, but that's OK because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of our students."
Rocha Garcia said she hopes the students who circulated among science-themed, hands-on activities at Monday's event will know that science isn't just a subject in school; it can lead to a fulfilling way of life.
"It's important that we come together as a community because this is where our future is," Rocha Garcia said. "When we think about the future of anything, any industry, our students need to learn that it's fun to do STEM and STEAM because the arts are also critical."
Rocha Garcia said the event was made possible by the partners who collaborated to bring world-class experts to Frost Plaza at the Rock at La Cantera.
Dan Geddes is a Frost Bank executive, but he's also a big fan of helping kids build better lives for themselves and their families with education.
"We hope it inspires them and lets them know they are special," Geddes said. "They are significant, and I hope we get some astronauts out of this. I hope we get some scientists that will then give back like these scientists here today, who are so generous with their time."
"I hope the kids really feel like they are loved on, that they are special and that they can be a scientist, an engineer." Geddes added. "They can be a teacher or they could even be a Frost banker being a cybersecurity expert."
Dr. Cliff Zintgraff, of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, said people sometimes think only about astronauts when they think about space-themed occupations.
"But for every astronaut, there's like 10,000 people on the ground who are building spaceships and planning missions, figuring out the science and handling all the operations and the management," Zintgraff said. "There are so many careers around space that these students can think about and be part of in the future. It is something for everybody."
Zintgraff said events like Monday's eclipse party can be transformative.
"We are so fortunate to have this coming through San Antonio because this event can really change the trajectory of these kids' lives."
Julie Crooke was part of a NASA team that helped with several different projects. Crooke said she came to space through physics, so it's important for kids to know there are many paths to success.
"I hope they take away the marvel of the world all around us, our universe and how the celestial bodies align just perfectly to allow us to see this total solar eclipse," Crooke said. "There are so many different careers that any child can get inspired to do. I hope to inspire them to be interested in science, technology, engineering or math, or any other field where they can be a part of something bigger than the sum of its parts, which is just an amazing feeling."
Chris Packham, a professor of physics and astronomy at UTSA, helped plan the event. He said organizers focused on inviting students from schools outside the eclipse's path of totality.
"Also those schools tend to be underrepresented and underprivileged, so we're so excited to say this is for everyone," he said. "NASA is for everyone. Science is for everyone. It is an inclusive sport. It's a team sport! We have to have everyone working together."
"I really want to bring the excitement of the eclipse and the observation of the universe to the kids who will be here with us," added Nancy Leveson, of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
Leveson said seeing kids deeply engaged in the activities was a real joy.
"They are actually being outside, looking at the sky, experiencing it!" she said. "Not looking at a phone, but being part of what's going on in nature. It's great to be a part of it."
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