By Christopher Arnold, Susan Burgess
Monday, June 8, 2009
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Four-time space traveler Scott “Doc” Horowitz told Palm Pointe Educational Research School’s graduating eighth graders Monday that to be the best, they must first pick something they love and excel in the basics.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything,” he said.
Horowitz, 52, knows what he’s talking about. He invented the next-generation space vehicle that will replace the space shuttle.
He told the students that when he was graduating from high school, a teacher wrote in his yearbook that if he worked hard, someday he might go to the moon.
Horowitz entered the space program in 1992, and flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1996, Discovery in 1997, Atlantis in 2000 and Discovery again in 2001. He retired as an Air Force colonel in 2004.
“I had friends aboard the Columbia (which blew up in 2003),” he said. “I’m an engineer. When I came up with the idea of the Ares I in 2003, which is a capsule above a rocket, it was rejected by the government. But a year later they looked at it, and today they are preparing to test a newer version, the Ares 5, with a space crew capsule.”
Palm Point completed its first year with the graduation of its 91 eighth graders, Principal Debra Snyder said.
“”You achieved much more than was ever expected,” she told the graduates. “You are rockets launching to new heights.”
Nineteen students achieved perfect scores on the FCAT.
Erik Rodriguez, 41, flew in from New York to see his twin daughters, Erika and Justina Rodriguez, 13, from Port St. Lucie, receive their certificates.
“They are very motivated, very ambitious, their grades are excellent and this is an awesome school,” Erik Rodriguez said.
The charter school is a partnership between Florida Atlantic University and the St. Lucie County School District.
Joan Mamone of Port St. Lucie, noted that her granddaughter, Krysta, 13, received a perfect grade on the FCAT.
“I think that at this school they teach them to strive for better than what they think is their best,” Mamone said. “I think Palm Pointe has set a higher standard for all the schools.”
Kelsey Barnhart, 13, said she “thought the best thing about graduation was everyone laughing and smiling and crying. I really liked the support of the teachers here.”
Terry Howard, who retired Monday after 36 years as a history teacher, received a big round of applause from the students.
“I still think teaching is the best job in the world,” he said afterward.
© 2009 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
Original Link:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jun/08/09SLPALMPOINTE/
