Rogers Scholars on Thursday toured the John F. Kennedy Space Center via a live, interactive videoconference with NASA officials.

The videoconference—presented by NASA’s Digital Learning Network and brought to Scholars by The Center for Rural Development’s award-winning CenterNET2 statewide videoconferencing network—gave them a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to prepare a vehicle for liftoff into space.

Scholars took a virtual tour of the interior of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), one of the largest buildings in the world by volume, from the comfort of their seats in the CenterNet2 videoconference classroom located on the second floor of The Center.

Damon Tally, a NASA official, explained in detail preparations for getting a vehicle ready to liftoff into space, including the site location, massive facilities, unique equipment and tools, and a world-class workforce.

Earlier in the day, guest speaker JP Blevins, a former University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball player, challenged Scholars to follow their dreams, set goals, and work on reaching their goals every day.

At the age of 8, Blevins had a dream that he would someday play basketball on the court of historical Rupp Arena for the University of Kentucky.

Blevins accomplished that dream, playing four years of basketball as a Wildcat. In an inspirational speech, he told Scholars that they can do anything they set their minds to if they set goals and strive to achieve them.

“Have a dream,” Blevins encouraged Scholars, “and be willing to go after it with every bit of your heart and soul.”

Rogers Scholar Joseph Wagers, 15, a junior at Jackson County High School, said Blevins inspired “me to chase my dreams and make them a reality.”

“JP Blevins made me realize I need to set clear goals,” Chelsey McDermott, 16, a junior at Bath County High School, added. “This will help me better achieve my goals because I will know exactly what I want.”

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