Episode #3 (50 min): Our guest, Bert Carson, is the father of Alyssa Carson who plans to be one of the first people to travel to Mars. NASA intends to go there in the 2030’s and, when they do, Alyssa plans to be on-board.
Going to Mars became Alyssa’s dream before the age of 3 (before most kids know that Mars is a planet). She’s now 19 years old and has accomplished more toward achieving her goal than many people accomplish in a lifetime. Find below an abridged list.
Bert talks about the value of talking about your goals with other people (which led to several mentor connections), the importance of follow-through in parenting, and the joys & challenges of having a daughter who plans to, someday, live millions of miles away.
A few of Alyssa’s accomplishments inlcude…
- Space & science camp participation:
- Space Camp 7x across three countries (U.S., Turkey, & Canada)
- Space Academy 3x
- Robotics Academy
- Sally Ride Science Camps, multiple
- Was the first person to visit all 14 NASA visitor’s centers across 9 states
- Author
- Advanced Scuba Certification
- Private Pilot license
- Fluent in four languages
- Ambassador for Mars-One
- Brand Ambassador for:
- Nike
- SodaStream
- Horizn-Studios Smart Luggage
- TEDx Talks conducted: Multiple
- NASA invited her to be on the MER-10 panel in Washington DC to discuss future missions to Mars, a nationally televised event.
- Advanced PoSSUM Academy: Youngest person to be admitted (and subsequently graduated)
- Certified in Applied Astronautics
Alyssa Carson Related Links
- Alyssa Carson eBook: https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Want-Be-Astronaut-ebook/dp/B07KJNWLC3
- UPROXX Alyssa Carson Video: https://youtu.be/9ychKZIG8ms
- Nike: Alyssa Carson Space to Dream Campaign, YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QW14-Cwozw
- Nike: Alyssa Carson Space to Dream Campaign, Featured Story: www.nike.com/alyssa-carson-space-to-dream
- SodaStream, Super Bowl Commercial with Alyssa Carson appearance: youtu.be/NUxDxLu21UQ
- Horizn-Studios, Alyssa Carson Brand Ambassador page: horizn-studios.com/en/journal/edit/alyssa-carson/
- Horizn-Studios, Smart Luggage for Space Travel: horizn-studios.com/en/brand/space-tourism/
Transcript likely contains some errors. Enjoy the episode!
Jonathan V.: Bert, thanks for being here today. Could you start out by telling us what it was like to be in the audience and seeing your daughter on stage as part of the MER-10 panel to discuss future missions to Mars?
Bert: Well, the crazy story there. So she’s 12 years old. This panel consists of three PhDs and an astronaut, and it is Live on NASA TV. And it’s celebrating the 10 years of being on Mars with robots and they fly us into Washington DC. And we show up at the Smithsonian the next morning early to check in as one of the panelists. And we approached the table and it’s like name. And I said, you know, I just kind of looked over at her and she didn’t say anything. It says Alyssa Carson. And she was like, no, what’s your name for the panel? I go, no, she’s the one on the panel. they were like, ha ha. That’s funny. That’s really funny. No, what’s your name? Like, okay. My name is Bert Carson, but Alyssa Carson is the one on the panel. It’s her. And so she finally started looking on the thing go, yes, there’s an Alyssa Carson. She’s the one on the panel? I said, yes, that’s correct. And so that was just a funny moment. And then when the panel was over with, they had questions and answers, you know, again kind of proud and thought it was funny that probably 70% of the questions were geared towards her. They were just so intrigued with, here’s this 12 year old speaking four languages and knows all this stuff about Mars, and it was a great shoot off for her. The BBC was there and they approached me and they did a story about her, the relationships that we developed with the people on the panel have lasted through the years and they have all been mentors to her and it’s been great to work with them over the years and for them to watch her growth and to become what she’s become today.
Jonathan V.: That’s wonderful. And you said you’ve maintained some of those relationships as well, are there any in particular that stand out?
Bert: Well from that panel in particular, one of the PhDs was John Conley and he worked at NASA, and did planetary stuff with NASA. And then when Alyssa was 14, he had moved over and was kind of a liaison with International Space University. And he had heard her mention, she wanted to go to International Space University on that panel. And so he invited her. During the summer, they do a summer session. It kind of moves around in different places in the Northern hemisphere, and that particular summer it was going to be at Ohio University. So he had invited her to come for a couple of weeks. I think it’s like a nine or 10 week session and come for a couple of weeks and just kind of get a taste of what it would be like at International Space University. And so, you know, we went to there and it was great to do that. And then, but he was just amazed at how here she was 14 and keeping up with probably the youngest one, there was probably in their mid twenties or hire. People with PhDs. And she’s like, one-on-one, you know, keeping right up with them. Outscoring some of them on tests and things like that. So it was a great thing to watch.
And what’s really unique about that relationship is now John is back over at NASA and the last I heard is kind of being dealing with and being maybe put in charge of the Mars Mission. Should it come along? And that’s just one of several stories. I mean, another one was Deborah Barnhart, who is the, or was she just retired, but was the CEO at Space Camp and US Space and Rocket Center. And she met Alyssa when Alyssa was probably like eight years old and just fell in love with her enthusiasm and her passion, and was a great mentor to her over the years. In fact, she’s the one who looked in and figured out how for her to go to Space Camp Canada and Space Camp Turkey. And then when the passport program came out, she was like, Hey, you need to try to do this. And so, you know, we did it literally within two or three months after the program came out, but she’s always been an ally, always had Alyssa, you know, coming to space camp to do interviews and, you know, whatever it may be, but she’s just been a great mentor for Alyssa.
Jonathan V.: rolling back the clock. What was the Carson household, like when Alyssa was younger, was this in Louisiana? What was it that you were doing? And I understand you’re a single father as well, is that right?
Bert: Yeah. I’ve been in Louisiana all my life. I was a freelance videographer. I traveled all over the world shooting video and just really wasn’t able to have a family because I was never at home. And so 20 years ago, some guys came in to Baton Rouge and bought one of the TV stations and asked if I would come in off the road and, you know, run the production side of it. And I’ve decided to do that and thought, well, if I’m not going to be traveling as much at all, if I’m ever going to have children, I better start working on it before I’m a hundred years old, you know. I had Alyssa and raised her and in the early days, I mean, it was, you know, it was great. I mean, I brought her with me everywhere. I went, I can remember having a meeting with the general manager of the Kingfish hockey team here in Baton Rouge. And there’s Alyssa in her little car carrier, little cradle thing sitting right next to us. You know, me feeding her with a bottle of whatever. I used to bring her on set with me when she got older and was walking and she would do the stopwatch.
And I guess kind of maybe molding her into what people would call the family business. And at a young age, she just got this fascination and this wonderment with Mars and it was like, she went on her path and this was going to be her path of getting to that red planet, no matter what. And so then I shifted gears and wasn’t too worried about her doing TV work or anything in that part. And we started working on the science side and of course I took any kind of help. I could get any of these mentors that came along and helped out because that was not my thing. I mean, you know, I watched man land the moon and knew about that, but, and I was good in science and math in school. So maybe that’s where she got it from, but I didn’t know, you know, I was not an engineer, was not a scientist. I didn’t work at NASA. Didn’t work in anything close to NASA. It was one of those things where, you know, it’s been her passion and she took off from it and has never looked back.
Jonathan V.: So, Alyssa expresses this interest in going to Mars at a very young age. It probably seems to you at first to be a passing phase, is there a point in time where it becomes clear to you that this is something she genuinely plans to pursue?
Bert: No, there was a moment. So yes, she, somewhere between three and four years old, I mean, I distinctly remember her coming to me and asking me about Mars and, you know, if people were there and I explained to her that we had been to the moon, but not to Mars, but it would probably be her generation, the Mars generation to grow up and go. And, you know, I didn’t think much of it. And that’s why I said, we don’t really know what sparked that, except that we do know there was the episode Backyardigans. So I don’t know of any other place she would’ve have seen that, but you know, like it was two weeks later or so. And she came back to me and she said, daddy, I decided I want to be, you know, one of those people that go to Mars. And I said, you mean like an astronaut and you, you know, you go to Mars? And whatever, was like, yeah, that’s what I want to be.
And I was like, okay, sure, you can do anything you want to do. And yes, honestly, you’re talking to a very young kid and their dreams or fascinations change, but it never really changed over the next couple of years. It was, you know, if we were in a bookstore, mean she could spot a book or a DVD or anything about space or Mars or whatever from across the store. And she just started consuming those at such a fast rate when she was either five or six, we’d gotten a Mars map and she was in a room studying the Mars map. And, you know, I walked in and I said, baby, what are you doing? And she said, well, daddy, when we land on Mars, we’re going to bounce with these airbags. And she had learned that because that’s how, at the time they were landing these rovers. And if we start bouncing off course, I need to know where we are. And I thought, you know, that’s a little strange for five or six year old to be thinking about, but again, I’m still going with the flow and thinking this will pass.
And then just by chance on a trip home, my mother and her brother and my grandmother were coming, I think, close to the Huntsville area. And they saw this big billboard about space camp. And so they brought Alyssa over there and this was when she was seven and they went all through the museum and everything. And when she came home, you thought she had just like most kids going to Disney world or something. It’s just, Oh, I saw this rocket and I saw this capsule on the moon rock in the, you know, and all this. And so she showed me, she had gotten her pamphlets for Space Camp, and I called about camp and found out she was too young, had to be at least nine, but we could go as a parent child. So we signed up and we did the parent child. And so we go the first time as a parent child. And, you know, I do all the simulators and the things like I do everything with her, what you have to do. And at Space Camp, they have a thing called the Right Stuff Award.
It’s an award that it just kind of the person who, you know, just shows the most, and is dedicated and helps other campers. And you know, that kind of thing. But it’s only given to one kid out of all the people in attendance that week, not just your team, but the entire deal at the end of our time, when we’re at graduation, they presented Alyssa with the Right Stuff Award. And that’s when I just started bawling like a baby going, my kids going to Mars. Like that was the realization right there. It was like, if these people who see all these kids every day, year after year, you know what I mean? And I realize other, you know, other people win the award every week, but they saw that in her at such a young age. I thought my kid’s going to Mars. And so that’s that kind of, you know, was my aha moment.
Jonathan V.: So, when that sinks in that moment, that this is for real, how do you feel about it as a dad? That’s risky, I guess in a number of different ways, the obvious risks associated with human space flight. And then as a parent, I think a lot of us feel we’d like for our kids to pursue a vocation that’s, you know, reliably achievable. So there’s that risk as well, right, to having your daughter want to pursue this dream that is very hard to achieve.
Bert: Well, again, you know, I mean she’s only seven and that was my aha moment. But yet honestly, I doubt that I was thinking about all that, like all the dangers and anything else. Let’s fast forward and look through the entire summary of it. Absolutely, it’s not the thing I would choose for my child because everything in space wants to kill her. You know, it would not be the thing I would want to push her into. And I’ve told people that’ll all along. You know, it’s not something I’ve pushed her into. It’s something she’s pulled me into. But you know, I guess at, you know, seven and eight years old and it’s my philosophy. I mean, I think parents should support kids’ dreams, no matter how crazy they sound, because generally, and usually they’re going to change. But especially now with, I think the intelligence level of kids because of being in the computer age and all, they’re able to get into things at such a younger age.
And so, if they’ve got these passions and dreams, you know, go after them, pursue them, let them go after it. I hate when, you know, kids eight, nine years old and it’s like, I want to be a doctor. And the parent goes, well, you can’t do that. You’re not good at math. You’re not going to be able to do that. That just cringes on me. Because again, I think you should support your child no matter what. So use it a positive reinforcement, use it in the sense of, well, you know, you’re not quite as good at massive. Maybe you should study harder at that, if that’s really what you want to do. And make it to where, if it’s their passion and their dream and their desire, and they’re willing to work hard at it, then they probably will work harder at their math. If that’s what they’re lacking and go for it. So I’ve just always encouraged her to go after whatever it is, you know, and if she failed, I would tell her that’s fine. That’s how you learn is by failing.
Jonathan V.: You’ve given some examples and responded in some ways to this next question already. Are there ways in particular that you supported Alyssa?
Bert: Well, I mean, obviously yes. I mean, starting off she’s young, I mean, you know, I’m supporting her by sending her to Space Camp, but again, at a very young age, she was willing to sacrifice, you know, this kid would never want any birthday presents for Christmas presents. It was, you know, contribute to my Space Camp fund. She would try to find, you know, scholarships and ways to do odd jobs and things like that. She was willing to put in the hard work and, you know, realized how expensive it was. So there’s a myth out there that I’m this rich parent who just bought her way in everything. And really and truly, Alyssa has earned her way into all of this. And, you know, yes, it is a lot there, but there are ways that you find this. And I guess the other support is me driving her around everywhere. She started doing public speaking at probably like 10 years old, she was a natural at it. And so she started having this other desire in her heart to inspire other kids, to be like her, because really, and truly Alyssa’s is not a genius. She just works hard at this dream every day.
And it’s something that she wants other kids to realize that anyone out there can do what she did. And even if you’re in a country that doesn’t have a space agency, or even if you’re in a family that, you know, they can’t even send you to Space Camp the first time, then you’ve got to do your research. You’ve got to find other ways if you want it bad enough today, these kids have the internet and they have a computer, and they have the entire world at their fingertips. So there’s all types of free stuff and free things that they can do. And she would do things like that as well. I mean, I can remember her doing these free MIT online courses at, you know, in her early teens. At a certain point, the support took over like, or I guess, went away in a sense because I mean, she was earning and doing everything for herself. You know, I was just, as I say, I was just the international baggage handler because this kid was being invited to do speeches and training all over the world. So it’s been her hard work that’s earned her where she is today.
Jonathan V.: And as a non-single dad, I have found the logistics to be challenging. As a single, how have you managed to balance all of this, helping her with the travel. And I assume that there’s a lot of planning that goes into many of these trips. How do you balance that with your day to day job?
Bert: So, what I did, you know, I look back sometimes, and me being a freelance videographer was not what I initially was going to do. And so again, you know, if you want to look at destiny pulling you in certain ways, I think I was pulled into that. And through that, got my education for being able to help her with media and travel and stuff like that. So there’s a big balance. And, you know, a lot of people ask us this all the time, like Alyssa, how have you done everything you’ve done, plus do your schoolwork, or have you done what you’ve done with her plus do your work. And honestly, we don’t have a great answer for that because it just kind of works some kind of way. We’re not real sure. I mean, I did teach her time management when she started kindergarten and I think that’s helped with some of her balance. As far as my balance, I think it just comes second nature to me. So when, you know, when someone wants us to travel or things like that, it’s what I’ve done all my life.
I would be called in the middle of the night saying, you know, we need you at X, Y, Z place by noon tomorrow or something. So, I mean, I was very used to that kind of life anyway. Now I’m a very big gadget guy. And so I’m always into learning new technologies and figuring out. So actually with the TV station, we were one of the first ones that were streaming our signal long before anybody ever thought about doing that. And I also was able to completely hook up everything, to run the entire station on a computer and work with some people and had some software developed and that kind of thing. And then when windows phones came along, which was a Windows 5 back in, I couldn’t tell you when, way back when, I was actually able to transfer all that over to a phone. So I got to a point to where I could run the entire television station from my phone.
And so that helped out immensely and it that just kept developing and it got to where I could literally, you know, I mean, obviously we’ve got employees at the station doing other things, but if there was any kind of issues or whatever, I could solve them with my phone. And a lot of it, I mean, I’ve just gotten to where, mostly everything I do is all on the computer. So it allowed me to free up and do that. And of course they allowed me to do that. I mean, they were very encouraged by Alyssa’s fascination and all this, and, you know, kind of felt like they helped her grow up as well. So it’s just kind of some of that, that I can best guess on our balance. But yeah, we think about that a lot that we don’t get it either.
Jonathan V.: What struggles did you experience in this pursuit? Were there some bumps in the road along the way for either you or her that you needed to help navigate?
Bert: Yeah, Alyssa, you know, through the years, I mean, like I said, being a single dad, I, before she was born, I traveled all over the place. And you know, when I had her, to me, it was, you know, I want to have this child, I want to raise her, I want her to be with me everywhere I go. And so the, I kind of gave up anything, I don’t want this to sound the wrong way, but in a sense of, you know, not giving up my life, but in a sense of, you know, I had my fun and did my thing, and now this is her time. And so I was willing to, I guess, make that sacrifice of, you know, I wanted to help and support her and be with her as much as I could, because not even thinking about the Mars mission, kids grow up and usually by 14, whatever they’re done with dad. And so, you know, at a younger age, I wanted to spend time with her, before all that happened. The struggles for me were kind of like the balance that we talked about earlier.
But just the fact of, I guess, people not understanding me, just not wanting to do anything other than to raise her. But with Alyssa, you know, she had her struggles, obviously, you know, she’s doing all this stuff at such a young age. So she’s literally either in classes or training or whatever it may be with people that are at least 10 years older than her, if not more. So, you know, she had her failures along the way, but as I said, I mean, that’s what I would tell her, failures are how you learn, but she would pursue after it and go after it. Other things would be, maybe something she’s about to do is a little scary. And, you know, you just kind of convince her to just try it one time and it’s crazy how she tries at one time and then she loves it and then she wants to do it a hundred more times. So it’s just maybe anxiety in a sense of some of that. But I guess all in all, I mean, everything’s kind of worked out. So, you know, you tend not to think about the struggles because how everything’s worked out. Does that make any sense?
Jonathan V.: Absolutely. Yup. So you mentioned that, and I think a lot of parents can relate to this, that there were times where Alyssa didn’t want to do something and you encouraged her to try it one time. Could you give an example of a time when that happened?
Bert: So, a really good example would be her pilot’s license. There’s a program called Young Eagles. And when kids are younger, they’re pilots out there and like take them up on their first flight. So we were at a 99 Event, which is a women’s group across the entire country. That was actually, I think, started by Amelia Earhart. And they had invited Alyssa to come out to the van and they took her up on her first flight and, you know, she came down and she was telling her everybody, yes, thank you. You know, thank you so much and appreciate and all, and then we get in the car and she’s like, daddy, I was kind of queasy. And I don’t know if I like that. And the plane kind of rocks and bumps and, you know, that kind of stuff. I was like, well, yeah, I mean, you know, I told her, I said, that was kind of my first experience. The very first time I went in a small applying, my uncle used to fly planes. And I really could remember the first time I went up, it’s like, this is very different than being in a big commercial plane.
You know, when she decided to pursue her license, she goes for the first introduction flight, I guess it is and comes back. And I said, well, was it better? And she’s like, not really. She said, still, you know, it was hot and it was still kind of queasy and all that. And I said, well, I mean, are you going to start lessons? She’s like, yeah, I think I need to start lessons. Let’s see. So she goes to her first actual lesson where she’s actually doing some stuff. And when she came back from that, she was like, daddy, I don’t like this at all. Like you know, this is like my third flight and I’m not liking this. It’s just not something I don’t think I want to do. And I told her, I said, there’s nothing that says you have to do this. There’s, you know, I mean, it is strictly a personal choice, you know, and we kind of talked through what had happened and the whole lesson and everything. I said, I tell you what, try it one more time. That’s all I’m asking, just try it one more time.
And if it’s the same, if you don’t like it, then just stop. You don’t have to do it. There’s, you know, there’s nothing you ever have to do. You know, she said she kind of, you know, agreed with that and said, okay, I’ll, you know, cause I’m sure she was probably thinking, I’m still not going to like this. And then, you know, I’ll do this one more time and then I’ll be done. And for whatever it was, whatever switch flipped, whatever happened, she came back, you know, 180 degrees. Like this was the best thing that ever happened. I love flying. I, you know, on and on and on, and then just took after it and obviously went all the way through and got her license. The advice there is, you know, maybe there’s some things that you can’t get your kid to do maybe because it’s you think it’s because they don’t want to do it, but it may just be because they’re kind of uncomfortable with it. And if you can kind of walk them through that uncomfortableness and talk them through that and just don’t push them into it.
Like you have to do it one more time, just like, would you give it one more chance? Would you try it one more time and try it this way? Or, you know, just kind of work through that uncomfortableness. I think that’s what happened there. I think by finally the fourth flight, her body had gotten used to being in a small plane and doing that. And then once she was comfortable with being in that small plane, she enjoyed it more because now she’s concentrating more on flying the plane, touching the plane, seeing the instruments, reading the instruments, that kind of thin. And it takes her mind completely off of what was uncomfortable to her to begin with. And then it was just, it was on then, you know, she loves flying. Just couldn’t keep her out of the plane after that.
Jonathan V.: I would imagine from her perspective that it might’ve been relaxing to know that this isn’t something she has to do again, after you gave her permission to say no, if she didn’t want to, after one more.
Bert: Yeah. And she had learned over the years that whenever I say, don’t do this one more time, or if you do this one more time, this is what’s going to happen. I followed through. My best advice to parents is do what you say. You’ve got to follow through. And it’s amazing that if you will do that just one time, how much it will change the child. And let me give you a real quick example on this. So we’re at a friend’s house for barbecue steaks or on the grill. Kids are running up and down the stairs, the parent’s house that we’re at tells her child, you know, y’all stop running up and down the stairs, and they kept doing it. I looked over at Alyssa and said, if you do it one more time, we’re leaving. And they did it again. And so I said, go get your stuff. And we left, with the steaks on the grill and the other parents were like, you’re not really leaving? I go, yes. I told her if she did this, we were leaving. And so we get in a car and we go home. And that was that.
And so, I followed through, I did what I said I was going to do fast. Forward a few months maybe or whatever, we’re at a function at the school, and it’s her and the same child. And they come to me and they’re like, daddy, can I go spend the night over at her house? I was like, no, not tonight. You know, you can’t. And then it was like, Oh, please, please, please go. It’s like, no, you can’t go tonight. Oh please, please, please. I was like, Alyssa, stop asking or we’re leaving. Boom. They were gone. Never saw them again. He just got to do that follow through one time. It’s amazing how kids learn what you do. And so by the time she’s doing this pilot’s license, she knows how I am. When I say do this, this is what’s going to happen. Daddy follows through. And so I think that also probably helped her with, just try this one more time. And again, if it’s still uncomfortable, you don’t have to do it. And she knew I would be serious about that. It would not be something I would push her into. So she has that comfort in knowing that what daddy says, he is going to do.
Jonathan V.: In addition to following through on what you say you’re going to do. Do you have any other philosophies or perspectives to share on the topic of discipline?
Bert: Well, this is probably not going to be happy for parents to hear, but you know, I don’t believe in the timeouts and the, you know, all that kind of stuff. I do believe in spanking. Again, you know, I’ve literally watched young kids and I’m talking about five and six year olds, hit and beat their parents and they do nothing. So yes, I do believe in discipline in that way. And again goes back to, if you do this, I’m going to spank you. I think Alyssa received maybe two spankings in her entire life, but it was at such a young age that it was barely anything I was doing, but probably to her was the worst thing ever. But then she had respect for me because again, she learned that I will follow through. So anytime she was disrespectful or doing something, and I said, do we need to go to the bathroom? And she knew that meant to get spanked. It was, you know, she immediately just stopped.
Whether you believe in spanking kids or not spanking kids, I mean, whatever it is, it’s still the same thing. It’s still the follow through. But you know, it’s just making sure that you have your kids respect and you are the parent and not the best friend later on, as they grow up. You can be their friend, but you know, I think the more you can do at a younger age to get them the way that you want them to be the better, you know. Again, the reason why Alyssa does four languages, is the school she goes through, they do all their subjects in four different languages and they start that in pre K. So it’s just mold them young and stay with that. And don’t deviate from those paths, no matter how hard it is. I mean, look, there’s a lot of times, you know, it killed me to do the things that I had to do, but I think it’s made her a better person. And you know, I love the adult that she is becoming.
Jonathan V.: You mentioned the school that she’s going to, she’s learning, she’s taking her courses across four different languages or in four languages. How did you identify that school? Was that something that you did purposely to try to help her with this pursuit? What kind of a school is that? That’s incredible.
Bert: Yeah. So a friend of mine had their child, it’s called Baton Rouge International School and they had their child at it and was telling me about it. But the main reason why I put her in that school was because again, I traveled all over the world and struggled because I knew English. That was it, and was constantly struggling with communications and things like that. And so I thought, you know, this will be great, you know, to where this kid would have these multiple languages and, you know, at least be able to, if she did travel, I mean, just as traveling as for leisure, whatever would just be so much easier for her then what I had to struggle with. And so that’s why I put her in there and it’s a private school, but in fact is probably, it definitely was cheaper than any other private school around. Not that I’m against public schools. I went to public school, but my whole thing was just having those languages and being fully immersed for 13 years. And so she can literally flip, like, you know, a lot of people, I think when they learn a language, they kind of like try to translate it in their mind from the English to the French or whatever.
Whereas that way, she just speaks French, no different than a French person. She doesn’t think about what the words are. She knows the words, she just that’s her normal talk. And the teachers that are teaching the languages, they are native to the country of whatever they’re teaching. They’re not only teaching them the languages, they’re teaching them their culture. They’re teaching them about their family. They’re teaching them about their holidays. I quickly learned at this school that it was really, again, molding these kids at a young age to be global citizens, to respect and to have the knowledge of the world. And as she has pursued and done what she’s done, it’s been the best thing that I could have ever done. And I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been very thankful to the administration there because they’ve allowed her to do the things that she’s done away from school and graduated from the school there. I mean, it’s a K through 12 school. So that’s where she graduated high school in the International Baccalaureate Program.
Jonathan V.: Clearly Alyssa has a strong work ethic to achieve everything she’s done academically. And also all of her achievements in pursuit of her dream to go to Mars. Are there ever times when you had to pump the brakes and push her to spend time doing things that were not related to those procedures?
Bert: It’s again, my other philosophy and raising her was I wanted her to have a balanced life. So I did not want her growing up from the very beginning and I saw how quickly it was evolving into that and not want her growing up into it being space, space, space, space. I’ve always felt like I did not want her to just be this book, smart person. I wanted her to also have common sense so that when she did go to this planet, if the book said to do X, but she really should be doing Y because she knows better, then do Y, and don’t do X because that would be dangerous. So kind of with that in mind, I made sure that she did ballet and piano and Girl Scouts and soccer and, you know, go to the movies with her friends and, you know, on and on and on. I made sure she had the balanced life.
I made sure she was also a kid. Did she miss stuff? Did she miss parties? Yes, absolutely. She had things that she wanted to do or train and she needed to go do or speaking she wanted to go do, and had to miss some things. So, yes, that was very important to me from the very beginning for her to have that balanced life. Now, again, that goes back to an earlier question we have of how we did that. Again, we don’t know. We just, it’s like time stopped for us, I feel like sometimes, cause we get like 40 hours of stuff done in a 24 hour day. But yeah, she just, you know, I wanted to make sure that did have that balanced life and somehow we’ve just made it all work. Somehow she’s been able to accomplish school and space and then also be a kid.
Jonathan V.: Well, if you read a book on time management, I will be the first in line to buy it because its sure sounds like the two of you know, how to get stuff done. Earlier, you talked about a couple of the mentors that Alyssa had. I’m sure there’s a very long list, but are there any others in particular that come to mind?
Bert: Yeah, you’re right. There’s been, there’s numerous ones, but I think probably, hopefully I won’t forget anybody, but I like to say, you know, the, probably the main three and I’ve mentioned two of them, John Conley, and Deborah Barnhart, but a third one that has been very important in her life is Bill Parsons. So he was the Cape Canaveral director. And you know, this story is funny in the sense of, you know, she tells people like, what should I be doing? Well, you know, find your dream and you go after it, don’t give up. And she talks, tell people what your dream is. Talk, let them know because you never know who somebody may know or what they do. Like maybe your dream is to be an engineer. And one of your parent’s friends is an engineer and you didn’t know it. And so, you know, they can be there to help you in mentoring you. So, one of my friends which ran an office supply business and grew up in Chathuam, Mississippi, which is, you know, population three, went to school with Bill Parsons.
And, you know, heard Alyssa talking about wanting to be an astronaut and that kind of thing. And call me up. He says, Hey, my real good friend is Bill Parsons. And of course I knew who that was then. And I’m like, yeah right. Okay. And then next thing I know he’s got Bill Parsons on the phone and he goes, yeah, that would be great. I mean, you know, I would be more than happy to meet with Alyssa and, you know, talk to her. So this was when Alyssa was 10 and we went over to Florida and we actually, I think met with, we met I mean, I know it was a restaurant can’t remember it was an IHOP or something like that instead of being at the Cape. Cause she had been there, you know, we wanted to have like some personal one on one time. And so he sat down with her and talked it all through. I mean this guy had been on, you know, astronauts selection boards and, you know, had done the full gamut. I mean he had been at Stennis and you know, I don’t know where all, but I mean, Bill was, had gone through all the ranks through NASA.
He was a Marine and then did stuff with NASA and it, you know, going all the way up to Cape Canaveral director. So, you know, just to let you know, Cape Canaveral director, then above him as NASA administrator, then above that is the President of the United States. So Bill is now that high in NASA, there’s, you know, the NASA administrator and the President of the only two above him. So he just, you know, he laid it out and said, you know, first of all, my first question to him was, is this even real? Or does this kid need to start looking for something else? You know? And he says, no, it’s, you know, it’s our forecast, and we’re looking at, you know, going to Mars in the 2030s. And so, you know, he started laying out to her, you should get your scuba certification, your pilot’s license, your skydiving certification, try to get all that by your 18, try to make your resume as unique as possible. Because when you sit down at the astronaut selection board and they say, well, what do you have?
Well, I have a PhD and blah, blah, blah, 10,000 people there, well probably 9,999 have a PhD. What else do you have? And then you hit the next thing. And then now that gets you down to 5,000 people and so on and so on, to where you have that resume so unique, it gets you down to that final 10. And so that’s kind of, you know, was his advice and what he was telling her, you know, she took it to heart. I mean, she said, okay, if that’s what it’s going to take, then that’s what I’m going to do. So that was a great thing, you know, for him to say, and, you know, he gave us his private number and said, you know, anytime you need anything and you know, I’m very respectful of that with people. I don’t just ask stupid and frivolous things. I would on occasion at, you know, we’d call up and talk to him, ask for advice on this or that. And then I find it kind of, I guess, ironic a little bit, but you know, Refinery 29 did a little short documentary on her and they had asked if, you know, Bill would speak on camera. So I’ll call him up.
He’s like, and at this time he’s retired, he was back over at Stennis doing some stuff for a private company, but he said, sure, you know, he said, that’s great. And so it actually came out in the interview that when he first met her, he thought, you know, Hey, I’m just giving some advice to another 10 year old that wants to be an astronaut and never really thought anything about it. And he said, you know, I so appreciate and love her passion and all that, how she has progressed and built, and have been so happy to be a part of that. So it’s been great to have that kind of person there, a phone call away, to help us make some of these decisions that she’s had to make.
Jonathan V.: Wow. And to think that that opportunity may have been missed if Alyssa and you weren’t talking about our dreams and aspirations, you really speaks to the importance of doing that. As you noted. You touched on her speaking several times that does strike me as one of her major accomplishments to date, is the impact she’s had on youth, inspiring them and getting them to think about possible careers in STEM. Can you explain how that got started and how that evolved?
Bert: Again, I mean, Alyssa was a natural at it when she was younger and I can’t remember which was first, but again, it would be around nine, 10 years old. So she spoke to a group of Girl Scouts at a friend’s house, you know, kind of had the campfire thing and just tell them about the stars and all that. It was to help them to get some badges and all, but the one where it really hit was a friend of mine runs the 4H camp in Alexandria, Louisiana, which is right in the middle of the state. And so four H kids come in from all over the state to go to this and there’ll be 400, 600 kids every weekend there during the summer. And she said, and you know what, Alyssa would Alyssa come and talk these kids? And I said, you know, I’ll ask her. She’s like sure. You know? And so she goes, and she speaks to, like I said, like a group of four or five, 600 kids. And she was just such a natural at it. And they were all asking her questions and all that.
And then, you know, she would go back the next week and talk to the next group that was there. And, you know, it just kind of developed that way and kind of awesome from that. And she, all of a sudden then was given these little talks at all these different little events and things like that. And then of course, when she was with the Mars 1 on ambassador, they had contacted Mars 1 about talking about what was going on at a Ted Talk event in Cocamide, Greece. And they mentioned about, Hey, you should get in touch with Alyssa. And so at this time, I mean, Alyssa is 12 years old and this was hitting too, right off of that MER 10 deal that happened in January. So they’re like, you should get Alyssa. And so that was her first, what I would, I guess, call big professional speech, you know, and actually something that, you know, we wanted to prepare for. I mean, I kind of felt very nervous, like, okay, these people are like flying us over to Greece and for my 12 year old to speak at a Ted Talk, like that was just kind of overwhelming to me, but, you know, she loved it was great. And then it just kind of blew up from there.
That was, you know, January was the MER 10 panel, that would have been that summer. So I actually, Alyssa turned 13 in March and then gave her Ted Talk. And then that October is when the BBC piece hit. And of course when it hit from her MER 10 panel, then that’s, you know, that’s what blew her up all over the world. I mean, we literally probably got anywhere from a hundred to 50, to 200 media requests within a 48 hour period. It has gone ballistic at that point. And so from there is where it’s taken off with interviews and speaking engagements and things like that. So today she has been to 27 different countries doing training and speaking all over the world. And it’s, you know, it’s just, again, she’s had no media training. She’s had no, you know, the entire team of Alyssa is me and her. It’s, you know, there’s no machine behind us.
There’s no one out there promoting her. There’s no one doing social media stuff and all it’s just me and her. And so everything about what has happened with her has been organic. It’s just been developing. And then of course these companies would, you know, pay her and fly her in to talk to their employees because, you know, just the not only inspiring kids and trying to get more girls in STEM and all that, she’s inspiring these adults, you know, cause these are adults are going, man, what have I done with my life? Kid 14 years old. And she’s over here, you know, done three times what I’ve done. So it’s just kind of picked up with that. And it’s been very natural and you know, a funny story is not too long ago. I guess might’ve been in January of this year when she was doing one of the Nike shoots. One of the Nike people said, Hey, I want to Alyssa to be more like the kid. And you know, I know she’s media trained and she’s doing her professional side on the set, but I want her. I was like, no, that’s just, you know, she hasn’t been media trained. It’s like, just go tell her to go flip the switch and go be back to the goofy kid.
You know, we have never approached any sponsor. We’ve never approached any media interview. We’ve never went after anything. Every interview she’s ever done. Every show she’s ever been in, every brand she’s ever dealt with has approached her. You know, people go out there and say, I’m this, you know, media mogul and going, pursuing all these people and going after that’s why she’s got those covers. I was like, no, it’s, you know, this kid wants to go to Mars and save the human species. She’s not about being famous, could care less. She uses these avenues to help inspire kids. And, you know, that’s the great thing about it, but it’s not, you know, that’s not number one on her list.
Jonathan V.: Well, I certainly appreciate your willingness to connect. When I reached out, I have just a few closing questions. First, what are three words that Alyssa would use to describe your parenting style?
Bert: Describe my parenting style, I’m sure one would be hard. One would be loving and probably passionate.
Jonathan V.: That’s a good mix. With the benefit of hindsight, what’s something that you would have done differently.
Bert: I don’t know that there’s anything I would have done differently. I mean, again, because I’ve, this entire process has been organic and I love that it’s been organic. I don’t know that I would really want to change anything. Like I’ve left it up to, you know, again, whatever you want to call it, the destiny, the God, the world, whatever, of letting this child follow her path, you know, and everything about this has been purely organic. I’ve never, it’s not like I’ve pursued something and then wish I hadn’t, because I’ve just, I’ve let it all developed organically. So, I mean, there may be something I just can’t think about it right now. But I think because this entire process from even going back to me doing what I’m doing in the filming industry, as opposed to what I was going to do, it all developed, like it was supposed to develop.
Jonathan V.: What advice would you give to other fathers either to fathers in general, or to fathers of kids who are aspiring to be an astronaut?
Bert: Well, what I would tell fathers is, you know, I mean, again, you’ve got to there’s this fine line. We have to walk. I mean, the mothers may be to do it a little bit differently, but the fathers have to be this brute tough guy. You know, we’re men, we, you know, we can’t show our emotions and all that. And I think, you know, when it comes to your kids, you need to get over that. You need to, you know, you need to show that loving side. Not saying that, you know, you can’t be disciplined to him, but you also need to show that loving side. There’s not a day that’s gone by in Alyssa’s entire life, that I haven’t told her that I love her at least once every day. I show her my heart. And so I think we need to get over this toughness as men. And maybe it’s because, you know, there’s, as they say, there’s a special relationship with daddies and daughters, but just showing them that you can care, and be loving to them as well. And just, you know, like I’ve said before, I mean, just support them. So, you know, definitely show the tenderness and the passion to your children and just being a loving family.
Jonathan V.: That’s great advice. And I think that it’s something that a lot of men struggle with. I think we have this perception that we need to live up to a stereotype. And it’s often to the detriment of our kids and ourselves.
Bert: Yeah. It’s about changing that society perception. It’s time we change that.
Jonathan V.: So, looking forward, should the day come to pass that Alyssa is on the launch pad and you’re in the bleachers watching, what do you imagine you’d be thinking and feeling in that moment?
Bert: Yeah, it’s a struggle. I mean, I, I deal with a double edged sword every day, so I’m very proud of her. I love what she’s doing. I love how, you know, she is probably changing the world and, you know, couldn’t be prouder. Over on the other side, I’m scared to death for, but that’s why, again, kind of going back and I mean, I’ve been fortunate that, you know, she still wanted daddy around and she still loves me being around. So I’m trying to, you know, spend as much time with her as I can before she may launch off to Mars and, you know, not knowing if she will ever come back. So on that day, I’m sure I will still have that double edged sword in the sense of, you know, it will be one of my proudest moments that she has achieved her dream, that she has always wanted her entire life in heading to Mars. And then on the other side of it, I’ll probably be in a fetal position in the corner, whining and crying and whatever, and, you know, hoping I see her again. So, but yeah, it will be a huge, daddy is so proud moment when that happens.
Jonathan V.: I can only imagine. Bert, you have been a real pleasure to talk with. Thank you so much for taking the time and for sharing your wisdom and story. I really appreciate it.
Bert: Sure. Thanks for wanting to hear me.