From Launchpads to Law School: Parallels and Perspectives from the Kennedy Space Center
“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted, it belongs to the brave.”
— President Ronald Reagan
Today, We visited the Kennedy Space Center, just off the heels of visiting Regent University where I intend to continue my next step in finishing my degree. It was hard to keep my mind from spinning. Standing beneath the towering rockets at the Kennedy Space Center, I felt both incredibly small but inspired. Yesterday, I learned the price tag of my goals and had a glimpse of the work needed to complete it. However today, the sheer scale of the technology, the sacrifice of those who dared to leave Earth stirred something in me. Today wasn’t just about space exploration for me, it was about human potential.
Attempting to go to law school at this stage in life comes with a different kind of weight. It’s not just about chasing a dream. It’s about rewriting the narrative and giving the experiences that I have lived a route to find purpose and to move past fear, and stepping into something hard to bring out something better. I’m not furthering my education because it’s easy. I’m doing it because I believe it matters.
The Shuttle Atlantis: A Legacy That Speaks
That belief was solidified when I stood in front of the retired Atlantis space shuttle. It flew 33 missions, orbited the Earth nearly 5,000 times, and carried the weight of both machinery and human hope. Now grounded, Atlantis reminded me that “Even when the mission ends, your legacy doesn’t.” Sometimes, I feel like my body and heart has orbited the earth atleast 5,000 times in the last 43 times and I am exhausted. The Atlantis reminded me that you’re never too old to launch. You just need the courage to ignite. I am summoning the courage, praying for it, pleading for it.
Learning from the Boldness of NASA
President Ronald Reagan’s quote glowed boldly on the wall and settled into my heart. It’s easy to hesitate when faced with something as daunting as law school. The workload, the competition, the fear of failure, the financial ask…… it’s enough to make you second guess everything. But that’s precisely when I know I need to press forward.
NASA didn’t launch shuttles by playing it safe. They ran countless simulations, took risks, and trusted in their training. Likewise, I am finding, preparing for law school in your forties is about preparation, perseverance, and believing that your work still has purpose.
Because the Future Still Belongs to the Brave
Just as astronauts are trained to solve problems in the harshest environments, Christians are to do the same in our society—seeking justice, being a vessel of love, navigating complexity and awkward situations with grace, and advocating for what is right. It’s not easy, even if I wish it was.
I guess this post is to say, if you’re staring down something new—something that scares you a little—remember this: Atlantis didn’t stop flying just because it got older. It made history until the very last mission and is still being used today to teach the lessons that only age can bring.
At 43, I’m strapping in, ready for my own launch.
Because the future?
It still belongs to the brave.