Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1077807
6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • February 2019 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom SOCIAL MEDIA Brenda Sapanghila Archer, Maddox & Oliver's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey Aidan's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredparent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine I dreamed of working for NASA as a kid. I watched PBS religiously when they aired programs about the vastness of outer space or profiles of the planets—Pluto was my favorite. I read and wrote books about space exploration and believed I'd one day pilot a shuttle or take a walk into space. In the words of my boys, NASA was life. On Tuesday, January 28, 1986, my school day started like any other. At 11:39 a.m., my elemen- tary school principal Mr. Yancy crackled over the intercom as I sat in class. "The space shuttle Challenger has exploded," he said somberly. Carts with televisions were wheeled into classrooms where we watched news coverage. I took the news hard. It still remains one of the saddest days of my life. It wasn't just about the shuttle, but one of its fallen crew members—astronaut and physi- cist Ron McNair. McNair was one of two black astronauts to reach space by 1986. As a young black kid in rural Virginia, that was everything to me. He validated my dream. He proved to me that my dad's words ("You can be anything you want if you put your mind to it.") weren't empty. They were alive and vibrant with power. I could be anything, or any- one—even the next Ron McNair. It's hard to believe 33 years have passed since the Challenger tragedy, but I think of Ron McNair often and wish he knew what his life meant to me. While I never became an astronaut, the lesson of McNair's life went beyond reaching NASA. It was about falling in love with why you work and being willing to follow it no mat- ter where it takes you—even death in some cases (i.e. Steve Irwin, Pat Tillman, etc.). My work has taken me on some amazing adventures, and I have no regrets over my career choice. I've interviewed both Supernannys, Sabrina Soto, Rachael Ray, several bestselling authors, and more. I let my children witness my work ethic, I talk to them about my goal, and I show them the end product. I also encourage them to find their Ron McNair—that someone they can be inspired by who is living their dream. To that end, I watch my 11-year-old dabble with science and STEM; my 6-year-old has an appetite for learning about how things work, and my 3-year- old dresses like a ballerina every day and mimics the recitals and performances she sees on YouTube. I hope you inspire your kids to stick their heads into the clouds. In a world that's connected though technology, they have far greater opportunities than you and I could have imagined. While we're pursuing our dreams, let's inspire our kids to do the same. WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES letter to readers Clouds You can be anything you want if you put your mind to it. Keeping Our Clouds in the Heads