In 2002, John Bennett Herrington made history as the first member of a federally recognized Native American tribe to reach space. Herrington, an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, carried into orbit, as a special tribute to his Native American heritage, six eagle feathers, a braid of sweet grass, arrowheads, sacred ground and the flag of the Chickasaw Nation. Born in 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma, Herrington's family moved fourteen times during his school years and he eventually graduated from Plano High School in Plano, Texas. I recently had the chance to visit Mr. Herrington and he told me that he had started college at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and was enrolled as a part-time student and working at a local restaurant. He was suspended with a 1.72 GPA because, as he stated, "I didn't try hard." From my research, I found out that he loves rock climbing and he went to work as a surveyor in 1977 and his boss encouraged him. to return to college because he had a talent for math and engineering. He also taught mathematics to a retired Navy pilot, who encouraged Mr. Herrington to enlist in the Navy. He listened to his friends, returned to college and then joined the Navy. Herrington graduated from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He then went to the United States Naval Academy and earned a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He once said, "I think a lot of people need to understand that you can fall, but you have to get up and keep running." » "You just have to keep trying." Herrington really loves math and science and wants to study everything...... middle of paper ...... his life in science and math, he never forgot where he came from and his heritage.Despite the fact that Mr. Herrington is a very busy man, he has been very accommodating and helpful with this article and is a true inspiration, not only for me but also for other Native Americans. http://pagerankstudio. com/Blog/2011/01/john-bennett-herrington-biography-life-and-career-facts/http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_hist_nna_johnherringtonhttp://www.rocketrek.com/ Works Citedhttp://pagerankstudio.com/Blog/2011/01/john-bennett-herrington-biography-life-and-career-facts/http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_hist_nna_johnherringtonhttp:/ /www.rocketrek.com/