BLAST OFF INTO SPACE.

ONE DAY IN OUR NEXT GUEST IS NO EXCEPTION FULFILLING THE PROMISE SHE MADE TO HERSELF AS A CHILD.

SHE BECAME THE FIRST MEXICAN BORN WOMAN TO TRAVEL TO SPACE AFTER LANDING HER DREAM JOB AT NASA AS A TEST ENGINEER.

NOW SHE'S DEDICATED TO SHOWING OTHER WOMEN THAT THE SKY'S THE LIMIT WHEN IT COMES TO REACHING THEIR GOALS.

JOINING US NOW IS SCOTT THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

IS SUCH AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE.

I HAVE TO ASK WHAT IT LIKE TO BE THE FIRST?

I REMEMBER READING THAT THERE WAS A PLENTY YOUR LIFE MENTIONED THAT YOU AND YOUR MOM LOST EVERYTHING.

IT ALMOST FELT LIKE YOU HAD TO START OVER.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

HOW JUST IT'S SUCH AN HONOR, BUT IT'S ALSO SUCH A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> BECAUSE I KNOW SO MANY YOUNG GIRLS, SO MANY WOMEN ARE LOOKING UP TO MY STORY IN THE SAME WAY THAT I LOOKED UP TO AN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, SHE BECAME THE FIRST HISPANIC WOMAN IN SPACE.

SO I I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE BOTH TO LOOK UP TO SOMEONE WITH SO MUCH LOVE, BUT ALSO TO BE LOOKED UP TO IN THAT SAME WAY.

SO IT IS MY GREATEST HONOR TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT ALL OF THOSE WOMEN.

WHAT DOES PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE FEEL LIKE?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE >> REALLY TRULY DID NOT THINK RETURNING TO ALL OF THIS.

I MEAN, I KNEW PEOPLE WOULD CARE ABOUT IT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I JUST COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO THIS LEVEL.

SO THAT TRANSITION AT FIRST WAS REALLY DIFFICULT.

I MEAN, YOU GO FROM BEING AN ENGINEER, THE ONE THAT.

WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS THAT'S BEHIND THE COMPUTER SCREEN TO BEING BEHIND.

COVERS OF MAGAZINES THAT CAN EVEN IMAGINE HOW THAT HAD TO FEEL LIKE MY FIRST FEW ONCE WERE STRESSFUL AND THEY WERE NOT VERY GOOD.

THE FIRST ISSUES THAT I DID.

BUT I HAD TO I HAD TO PRACTICE JUST LIKE EVERYTHING I LIKE TO BE PREPARED AND YOU SUCH A BIG KILLER IN YOUR CAREERS.

>> WHAT ARE THOSE CONVERSATIONS LIKE NOW?

SHE HAS SEEN FLOURISH.

>> MY MOM'S STORY IS JUST STORY THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ME BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE AN EDUCATION SHOWS.

WANT TO HAVE A CLEAR.

SHE LIVED A VERY TRADITIONAL LIFE AS THAT.

STAY AT HOME.

MOM AS A HOUSEWIFE.

IT REALLY WAS BIGGEST RAIN BUT CHEAP FELTON BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN FOR HER.

AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE TOGETHER SINCE THEN IS THE ONE OF THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS AND NONPROFITS IN MEXICO FOR LATIN AMERICA TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OTHER SPACE-RELATED EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES PEOPLE FROM OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

SHE'S BRINGING HER AND SHE'S SHE STARTED HER CAREERS IN HER 50'S AND SHE IS BY FAVORITE CO-WORKER THE HAVE TO BE VERY EMOTIONAL FOR BOTH OF YES, IT WAS REALLY FUNNY HOW IT HAPPENED, BECAUSE AS MY MOM, SHE JUST STARTED HELPING ME.

>> AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THE ONE PUSHING ME AND TELLING ME THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO WE CAN HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE WANT TO AND EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO ME REALIZING WORKING A FULL-TIME AND I TELL HER ONE DAY I FEEL REALLY BAD.

FEEL LIKE I SHOULD PAY SHE SAID PEI LI BACK TO 2022.

>> WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU STILL THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE UP IN SPACE?

>> JUST CHANGE PERCEPTION, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE OVERVIEW EFFECT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS SENT TO INVESTIGATE AND IT'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL COGNITIVE SHIFT THAT HAPPENED WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS ABLE TO LOOK AT THE PLANET FROM THE OUTSIDE AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE TO TO BE ABLE TO NOW RECOGNIZE WHAT IT IS THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE THE FLIP OF A SWITCH WAY.

YOU IMMEDIATELY FEEL DIFFERENT.

YOU DON'T NOTICE IMMEDIATELY.

YOU NOTICE IT LATER ON THIS, THE WEEKS GO ON THE MONTHS GO ON.

AND NOW AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE ON, I REALIZED BY THE I WAS FROM 0 TO 26.

I LEFT HER IN SPACE.

I'M NOT THAT PERSON ANYMORE.

I AM A PERSON THAT IS JUST SO MUCH MORE HUMAN.

I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HAVE BEST OF ABOUT LIKE SALUTE LEE, AND IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.

AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK YOU WHAT THAT FEELING LIKE, I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED YOU.

>> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

I TELL THEM THAT IT'S LIKE BEING BORN AGAIN.

EXCEPT THIS TIME WE GET TO REMEMBER.

I MEAN, CAN YOU REMEMBERING WHAT THAT'S LIKE?

YOU'RE IN THE ROOM AND THEN YOU COME OUT AND YOU SEE THE WORLD AND YOU'RE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE SOUNDS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE FROM WHEN YOU WERE IN THIS LITTLE SPACE AND YOU FELT COMFORTED AND YOU FELT WARM IN THE FIELD COZY AND YOU COME OUT AND YOU REALIZE THERE'S AN ENTIRE WORLD OUT HERE.

YOU HAVE NO WAY TO HELP OUT.

IT'S LIKE THAT ME REALIZING.

>> OH, MY GOODNESS.

I HAD NO HOW.

AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR TIME LONG WORKING AT NASA IS A DID READ THAT NASA CREATED A POSITION FOR YOU.

THEY DID.

THEY DID.

I WAS A STUDENT AT UCLA AND I HAD MY FIRST INTERVIEW AND IT WAS FOR A POSITION NOT I WAS NOT REALLY NECESSARILY >> THE QUALIFIED FOR ABOUT WHAT IT WAS FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS STUDYING.

IT WAS FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING.

AND I'M AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER ON THE CIRCUIT COURT DESIGNER.

BUT I DECIDED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY GO THROUGH WITH THAT INTERVIEW EVEN THOUGH I KNEW I WAS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET THAT JOB.

BUT I DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

AND THAT IS THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW A NASA ENGINEER.

I HAVE THIS PERSON ON THE PHONE WITH ME.

SO IF I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO GET THIS JOB, I WILL AT LEAST MAKE IT COUNT.

HE'S ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE NOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY GREAT I FEEL THAT SOMETHING YOU TALK ABOUT A LOT TO NOT BE AFRAID EXACTLY BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT KIND OF DOORS YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OPEN FROM OPPORTUNITIES THAT >> MAYBE ARE NOT NECESSARILY FOR YOU IN THE MOMENT.

AND THANKS TO THAT CONVERSATION.

THIS ENGINEER WENT BACK TO THE ELECTRONICS TEAM.

THEY CREATED A POSITION SPECIFICALLY DESIGNING CATERED AFTER MY RESUME BECAUSE HE LIKED THAT CONVERSATION AND MY LOVE FOR WHAT THEY DID SO MUCH.

THAT'S AWESOME.

AND YOU'VE SPOKEN WITH WORLD LEADERS, KIDS OR DREAMING, ALSO HAVING THE SAME POSITIONS.

I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR DREAM NOW FOR THE NEXT GENERATION?

SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL FOR ME IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS HAS BEEN FREE LEISING THAT ENTIRE LIFE.

I THOUGHT MIGHT LIFELONG GOAL IN MY LIFE AND MISSION WAS TO GET TO SPACE.

AND WHEN THEY FINALLY DID REALIZE THAT MY MISSION WAS ACTUALLY JUST BEGINNING.

AND THAT IS I DON'T WANT TO BE THE FIRST IF I'M GOING TO BE THE LAST.

SO I'VE BEEN WORKING EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE THEN TO CREATE.

REAL AND SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

OTHER LATINOS MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

OTHER WOMEN OTHER THE LITTLE GIRLS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WATCHING US DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.

I WANTED TO BE EASIER FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE I CURRENTLY.

BECAUSE IF I'M THE FIRST AND WE'RE CURRENTLY LIVING 2024, AND ANOTHER PERSON HASN'T GONE AFTER ME.

I'M NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL WE ACHIEVE THAT.

AND LAST QUESTION THAT I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF NOW?

YOU TELL YOUNG LITTLE GIRL, I WOULD DEFINITELY TELL HER.

THANK YOU.

>> BECAUSE SHE WAS ALWAYS SO BOLD THAT SHE ALWAYS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED.

AND WHEN SHE WAS GOING AROUND SAY ONE DAY SHE WAS GOING TO TRAVEL TO SPACE AND EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING OUT SHE JUST SAID, YOU JUST WAIT AND MINOR