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Astronaut Clayton Anderson teases young three-year-old Tate Lucero after signing his children’s book for him during last week’s S.C.O.R.E camp. Anderson signed books for people of all ages following his afternoon presentation last Wednesday. (Johnson Publications photo)

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Astronaut Clayton Anderson’s applications to join the astronaut training program were rejected 14 times before being accepted on his 15th try. His 14th rejection letter was shown on the screen behind him during a presentation at S.C.O.R.E. camp in Imperial last week. (Johnson Publications photo)

Dream to become an astronaut took 15 tries

    Retired astronaut and Ashland, Nebraska native Clayton Anderson knows how to take rejection. He faced it time and time again in his quest to become a U.S. astronaut.
    He first knew he wanted to become an astronaut at the age of nine. That’s when on Christmas Eve 1968, he and his family watched Apollo astronauts go behind the moon for the first time ever.     
    It took perseverance and determination to see his dream finally become a reality. After  14 rejection letters, he was finally selected into the astronaut training program.
    Speaking to an audience made up of S.C.O.R.E. camp students, their parents and local residents, Anderson stressed everyone needs to have a dream.
    Making those dreams come true takes perseverance, much like he displayed in his relentless attempts to get accepted into the astronaut training program.
    One doesn’t have to be a genius, like Albert Einstein, to achieve their dreams, he noted.
    Anderson said he was a good student but by no means a “genius.”
    He recalled starting his pursuit of a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Iowa State.
    One of his first classes was advanced calculus with a young professor. Despite all his hard work, he got a D in the class.
    He retook it again, putting in the hard work he had before. This time, he got an A.
    “So have a dream, persevere. You don’t have to be a genius. And number four, be proud of who you are,” he said.

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