Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Thursday, March 11 was out-of-this world for Jewish Academy of Orlando students as when astronaut John Daniel “Danny” Olivas visited the school. The live visit was conducted remotely using the school’s Google Meet platform so that all students whether in person or at home could participate.  

Astronaut Olivas shared his story of becoming an astronaut beginning with his inspiration when visiting Johnson Space Center as a child and leading on to his first space mission. He shared his story of continuously improving himself to achieve his goal, the countless times he applied to NASA and the years he devoted to training (that led to his first mission).  His was a story of resilience, hard work, love of learning, self-improvement, bravery, and much more. 

Some fun highlights of the event included Olivas’ slam dunk from outer space and seeing a photo of the Buzz Lightyear doll that he took on a mission.

“We offer our immense thanks to Astronaut Olivas and the Pierce family who made this visit possible,” said Amy Polacek, director of Academics.

“The event was a true gift to our curious students. In addition to sharing his story, he inspired our students to literally reach for the stars.”

Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from transitional  kindergarten through fifth grade. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of Orlando is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools.  

To learn more about Jewish Academy of Orlando, please visit: jewishacademyorlando.org or follow the school on Facebook facebook.com/JewishAcademyOrlando.