This is not a typical day in the life of an astrophysics graduate student, but I thought I'd share:

Space Camp is a privately owned educational experience for kids and adults. I am a six-time Space Camp alumna (all Huntsville). I adore the program and would recommend it to everyone.

This summer, Space Camp is having its 25th Anniversary celebrations. A offered to be a local volunteer. On Wednesday, I assisted with the first ever Space Camp Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. I escorted people from their dinner tables to the stage, and in one case, escorted one person (Mr. William Shatner) from backstage to onstage.

Throughout the course of the night, I met:
Dan McMonagle, former astronaut
Larry Capps, the CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
William Shatner, actor best known as Captain James T. Kirk
Jim Halsell, former astronaut
Story Musgrav, former astronaut
Jan Davis, former astronaut
Ed Buckbee, Space Camp founder
Georg von Tiesenhausen, an original German engineer of Operation Paperclip
Dan Oates, creator of Space Camp for the blind and visually impaired
Amanda Stubblefield, ISS ECLSS Instructor
Penny Pettigrew, Ares I project
Jim Rice, Astrogeologist with the Mars Exploration Rovers project
Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Mission Specialist-Educator, astronaut class of 2004
and Loretta Spencer, Mayor of Huntsville.

For a space enthusiast like me, it was a great night!