Before dawn on 15 May 2024, there was an unusual stirring on Willie St. and in the YMLA parking lot. This stirring was the gathering of cadets destined to visit the Johnson Space Center, just south of Houston, TX.
Before the sun rose, 45 cadets accompanied by their stalworth chaperones boarded a Cowtown Charter for the trip. They stopped at "Buccee's" in Madisonville, TX before settling in at the Space Center. After riding the tram to the site of the Apollo Launching system used for Apollos 1, 7-12 they returned to the Welcome Center to partake in movies, displays, and astronautical challenges. I've never seen the young men so enthused (except in my class) as they sought out the various challenges and informative areas of the Center. Accompanying the Cadets were Mrs. Amber Reed, Mr. Noel Ribota, Ms Sabrina Bone and Mr. Mark "I Gotcha Snack" Carter.
This mixture of astute scholars dined at Jason's Deli (Webster, TX), then boarded the bus for Madisonville, TX (again), where they literally decimated the candy aisle before returning home. We closed out the event with a rousing recitation of our affirmation before riding victoriously into the night. All JCC Cadets and P.O.T. want to thank all who supported and encouraged us during the planning and execution of this event.
