Former NASA astronaut Hernández to deliver keynote at RUSD Parent Summit

This year’s Rialto Unified School District Parent Summit promises to be out of this world with former NASA astronaut Dr. José M. Hernández serving as the keynote speaker.

The 15th Annual Parent Summit will be held on January 28 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Carter High School, located at 2630 N. Linden Avenue, in Rialto. The theme of this year’s summit is “Future Ready Reaching for The Stars,” which connects with Dr. Hernández’s inspirational story.

“As we work together to close equity gaps and connect students to their aspirations for the future, Rialto Unified is strategically working to bring together and partner with families so that they can be fully engaged in the education of their children,” commented Dr. Raymond Delgado, RUSD Lead Professional Development Agent who oversees the Parent Summit. “This event is for our families and has been designed by our families. The 15th Annual Parent Summit is a wonderful opportunity to ensure that each student achieves personal and career fulfillment in a global society. We are excited to have an amazing keynote speaker, Dr. Jose Hernández, who will share his inspiring journey from migrant farmworker to NASA astronaut. The summit is going to add to the momentum produced by the work that the Rialto Unified School District community has done to strategically create a new reality of education and possibility for our students.”

With over 300 hours of time in space and an incredible, personal journey, Dr. Hernández brings a unique perspective on the importance of education and the limitless opportunities it can provide. Dr. Hernández grew up in Stockton, California. He was inspired as a child by watching the final Apollo mission to the moon, Apollo 17, in 1972. After high school, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pacific. He was awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received a Master’s in electrical and computer engineering. He joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2001, working in the Materials and Processes Branch. NASA rejected his application to become an astronaut 11 times, but he persevered. He was finally selected to become an astronaut on his 12th attempt, completed the Astronaut Candidate Training in 2006 and fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling into space as a mission specialist on the STS-128 mission that traveled to the International Space Station in August 2009. While in orbit, Dr. Hernández became the first person to send a Spanish-language tweet while in space.

The Parent Summit returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2019. The event will include the popular parade of schools along with student performances and other opportunities for RUSD families to explore ways to maximize their student’s education. Workshops will include sessions on literacy, numeracy, early certification programs, grading practices and more. Additionally, a fleet of food trucks with lunch will cater lunch for attendees.

Steven Gaytan, RUSD Student Member and Rialto High School student, said he’s excited about Dr. Hernández’s keynote speech and the opportunity for everyone across the entire District to come together as a community.  

“It will be a great event to spread information and allow the parents to get more engaged with their student’s education,” Gaytan said. “The Parent Summit shows the community that we are all here together. It gives a good perspective for parents on what is happening around the district. It will be a good community experience.”

To register for the Parent Summit, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ParentSummit23. For more information please contact the Curtis T. Winton Parent Institute at (909) 879–6000 ext. 2903 or 2904 or parentinstitute@rialtousd.org.