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NASA's 100th Flight Director aims to inspire Rochester Community Schools students to shoot for the stars

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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — From Rochester Community Schools, to beyond! Did you know NASA’s 100th flight director is from right here in metro Detroit?

Fiona Turett is a graduate of the Rochester Community School district, having attended Meadow Brook Elementary, West Middle, and Rochester High School. Thursday she made time to talk to students at West Middle School.

“My job is to do whatever we need to do to keep astronauts safe and to keep the International Space Station safe,” said Turett, as she spoke to students on Zoom.

Fiona Turett told students how Rochester Community Schools helped her achieve her dreams - and answered their questions about the value of exploring outer space.

“We can use space to help us improve life on Earth,” she explained as she shared photos of experiments with growing food and health in outer space.

Students say it was inspiring.

“This is one of ours. This is one that walked these halls. One of our eighth graders from 2002 is now is working for NASA and achieving great things,” said Lisa Fosnaugh, West Principal, who invited Turett to speak.

Turett says she hopes NASA explorations inspire humanity to try to achieve what seems impossible.

“What I want kids to take away is if you have a dream and you follow it and you work hard, you can do that,” she said.