“The magic doesn’t happen inside your comfort zone; you gotta scare yourself a little bit. To me, that’s a really good sign that you’re pushing yourself beyond your boundaries, and that’s how you achieve amazing things.”

These words, and so many more, inspired Spokane-area students who were on hand for the Mobius Discovery Center's NASA downlink with the International Space Station and a question-and-answer session with Gonzaga Prep's own astronaut, Col. Anne McClain. The event was emceed by one of McClain's longtime classmates, Steve Schreiner, the school's IT director, who shared his own insights about McClain's trajectory toward space.

"Fewer than seven hundred humans have ever traveled to space.  Anne made sure she’d be one of them.  The girl I met when I was eight knew the person she wanted to be.  The woman we’ll talk to today, has become that person.  Anne shows us what it means to persevere."

When the live downlink began, McClain was ready and waiting. She fielded questions from students representing 11 different schools. Questions ranged from "What do you do to pass the time?" to "What are you most excited for in the future of space exploration?"

Watch the event here, and read coverage from The Spokesman-Review here.

This unique NASA downlink was made possible through a partnership with Mobius Discovery Center and their sponsor support from BECU and Avista. 

Col. Anne McClain, a 1997 graduate of Gonzaga Prep, is a decorated astronaut who has completed multiple missions aboard the International Space Station. Her participation in the live event offered a rare and invaluable opportunity for the Gonzaga Prep and Spokane community to connect with a distinguished alumna making significant contributions to science and space exploration.