1장
Beyond the Classroom: A Journey to the Stars
In 1989, twenty special education students from Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, boarded a plane bound for Huntsville, Alabama. These weren't typical Space Camp attendees. Among them was Steve with Tourette's syndrome, Lewis who had lived in twenty-seven foster homes, Marion battling leukemia, and Ben with Down syndrome. Their teacher, Mike Kersjes, watched nervously as they descended toward the red clay of Alabama-a landscape so alien to them that one student asked if it was "like Mars." These students weren't just embarking on an educational trip; they were pioneers, the first special education class ever admitted to the prestigious Space Camp program. Their success or failure would determine whether such opportunities would exist for other special needs students in the future. Beloved by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and featured in a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring John Corbett, "A Smile as Big as the Moon" has become a touchstone for inclusive education, showing how determination can overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers.
2장
The Spark of an Impossible Dream
Teaching special education demands extraordinary dedication, requiring educators to wear multiple hats simultaneously. For Mike Kersjes, each school day meant transforming into a psychologist, social worker, doctor, foster parent, and friend to children facing complex learning disabilities and emotional challenges. After a decade of navigating these demanding responsibilities, dealing with individualized education plans, behavioral interventions, and the constant emotional toll of supporting struggling students, Kersjes was experiencing the deep exhaustion familiar to many special education teachers.
The turning point came unexpectedly one afternoon while thumbing through a worn copy of Scope magazine in the teachers' lounge. An article about Space Camp, NASA's prestigious educational program in Huntsville, Alabama, caught his attention. The program, traditionally reserved for academically "gifted" students, featured sophisticated flight simulators, rocket building, and mock space missions. When Kersjes shared his emerging idea with his teaching partner Robynn McKinney, her reaction was immediate and blunt: "Are you out of your mind? These kids can barely handle regular school activities!"
Undeterred, Kersjes made what would become the first of many challenging phone calls to Space Camp. The administrator, Heiko Enfield, responded with poorly concealed skepticism, carefully explaining that the program's rigorous curriculum was designed specifically for gifted children who excelled in mathematics and science. When escalated to Dr. Deborah Barnhart, Enfield's superior, her request for a formal proposal carried the unmistakable tone of diplomatic dismissal. The response from his own principal, Tom Keller, was even more discouraging, laying bare the harsh statistics: "These kids have IQs below 85, most come from broken homes, and many can't even read at a fifth-grade level. Space Camp isn't meant for students like these."
The students' initial reactions reflected years of internalized limitations. In the special education classroom, where worn posters and adaptive learning tools lined the walls, Kersjes introduced the concept during morning circle time. Six-foot-two Stephanie Reinks, who endured daily taunts of "Alice the Goon" in the hallways, dared to show enthusiasm. Her excitement was immediately crushed by Scott Goudy, a dyslexic student with alopecia who had learned to cope with his own challenges through mockery of others. Ben, a gentle student with Down syndrome who often served as the class peacemaker, innocently voiced what everyone was thinking: "Isn't Space Camp for smart kids?"
The seed of possibility, however, had taken root in Kersjes's mind. One evening, while helping his sons with their homework, he watched them folding paper airplanes, experimenting with different designs, and learning through trial and error. Their natural curiosity and ability to learn through hands-on experience crystallized his conviction. Standing in his kitchen, surrounded by paper planes and homework sheets, he made the decision that would define his career: "We're going to Space Camp!"
This moment of determination would launch a year-long odyssey, challenging not just institutional barriers and financial obstacles, but also confronting deeply ingrained prejudices about the capabilities of special needs students. The journey ahead would require navigating bureaucratic mazes, raising substantial funds, and most importantly, proving that the term "special" in special education could represent possibility rather than limitation. This mission would ultimately transform not just twenty special education students, but reshape an entire educational system's understanding of potential and achievement.
3장
Fighting the System: Bureaucracy and Breakthrough
Kersjes secretly prepared a Space Camp proposal without seeking approval from his principal or special education coordinator. After weeks without response, he leveraged his sister's connection to Congressman Paul Henry's campaign. The congressman enthusiastically supported the plan and called Space Camp on their behalf, resulting in an invitation to discuss the proposal in person in Huntsville-though with the warning that CEO Edward Buckbee opposed having special-needs students at a camp designed for gifted children.
When Principal Keller and regional special education coordinator Denise Boitano rejected the Space Camp plan, citing concerns about expenses (approximately $50,000), classroom time, and curriculum coverage, Kersjes went over their heads. With school board member Mike Schmidt's help, he presented directly to Superintendent Mike Washburn during a regional meeting. Despite the awkward timing, Washburn was interested enough to have Kersjes present to all the superintendents, who ultimately approved the plan and offered initial funding.
At NASA's Teacher in Space Conference in Houston, Kersjes experienced firsthand the discrimination his students faced daily. Seated at a table in the back corner near the kitchen with two Soviet visitors and a low-level NASA administrator, he realized they were marginalized because his name tag read "MICHAEL KERSJES-SPECIAL EDUCATION." When requesting curriculum materials for Space Camp preparation, he encountered Ross Fullerton, a hostile NASA PR executive who called the Space Camp plan "the stupidest thing I've ever heard." After Congressman Henry secured a "red clearance" for access, Fullerton showed them NASA's pitiful offerings for "handicapped children"-just a dark room with Braille rocket-building instructions.
The most devastating setback came when the Kellogg Foundation rejected their well-prepared funding proposal. With no alternative plan, Kersjes couldn't bear to tell his students the truth. Then came an unexpected miracle: Dan Trierweiler, a local Burger King franchise owner, called Kersjes to a meeting. "I like underdogs. I want to see you win," he said simply, pledging the entire $50,000 needed for the trip.
This remarkable journey illustrates how systems designed to help special needs students often become barriers instead. It took extraordinary persistence, political connections, and finally the generosity of a businessman who "liked underdogs" to overcome institutional resistance. The experience mirrors what many parents of special needs children encounter-fighting for opportunities others take for granted, navigating bureaucracies designed to say "no," and finding unexpected allies along the way.
4장
Building a Team from Broken Pieces
Most of Kersjes' special education students came to his classroom after numerous failures-they represented their last chance before alternative schools or institutionalization. Nearly all were convinced of their worthlessness, with "stupid" practically tattooed on their foreheads. In the suburban Forest Hills Northern High School, these students faced cruel treatment from peers and even faculty contempt. Kersjes avoided the teachers' lounge after hearing "Hey, Kersjes, you know what your idiots did today?" too many times.
The Space Camp team included students with diverse challenges. Stephanie Reinks was emotionally impaired, learning disabled, six-foot-two, overweight, wore thick glasses, and had a speech impediment. Scott Goudy was dyslexic and suffered from alopecia. Ben had Down syndrome. Steve had Tourette's syndrome. Marion was battling leukemia. Brooke had Prader-Willi syndrome, characterized by compulsive eating and obesity. Lewis had lived in twenty-seven foster homes.
Building these broken pieces into a cohesive team required creative approaches. Kersjes incorporated experiential "hands-on" education into their Space Camp training. For students who benefited from visual cues, they built miniature space shuttles that made abstract mission concepts concrete. They created a custom board game that made memorizing NASA's acronym-heavy language competitive and fun. They transferred manuscripts to computer discs so students could practice mission scripts while becoming comfortable with technology.
Team-building extended beyond academics. Evening stargazing sessions at Kersjes' home transformed abstract astronomy concepts into observable phenomena while building team spirit through personal conversations outside school hours. A bowling outing revealed Pat Zerfas's exceptional skills, using professional techniques and scoring games as high as 236. While the students enjoyed themselves, Kersjes struggled with basic bowling and became the subject of their good-natured teasing. This experience became crucial for bonding as students laughed with rather than at each other.
The transformation wasn't immediate or smooth. Their first underwater tetrahedron-building exercise at the YMCA ended in disaster. Despite being competent at constructing these geometric structures on land, the students completely fell apart in the water. Instead of working cooperatively, they flailed about individually, dropping pieces and fighting with each other. Rob Johnson's outburst-"This is a waste of time anyway. Most of these idiots can't even swim"-captured their frustration.
Through persistence and adjusted expectations, the team gradually came together. Former astronaut Jack Lousma visited their training session and was surprised to learn the students built tetrahedrons without the nail polish "cheat sheet" NASA used to mark connection points. After watching them work in the pool, he praised them to reporters: "These kids do it blind...while treading water. That shows how well they work together as a team. If you ask me, they're ready for Space Camp right now."
5장
Facing Personal Demons
Beyond their academic and physical challenges, many students faced personal demons that threatened their Space Camp participation. Lewis's alcoholic foster father exploited him and his brother as unpaid farm labor. When Lewis was caught stealing food at school, Kersjes confronted the foster father directly and appealed to Lewis's social worker, who hadn't checked on him in months. She dismissively noted that "Lewis burns bridges," but Kersjes refused to back down: "I'm not taking this kid off my caseload... If you want him, you'll have to take him."
For special education students, clocks are constant reminders of their limitations, always pressuring them to hurry up. While Kersjes and McKinney typically gave their students extra time for assignments, Space Camp would offer no such accommodation-all missions had strict time limits regardless of the students' backgrounds. This created immense anxiety, particularly for students with processing disorders.
The students also faced cruel bullying. After Kersjes' football team lost their season opener, some players blamed his divided attention and began targeting the special education students. Ben Schmidt, with his Down syndrome and eagerness to please, became an easy target when players tricked him into hugging unwilling girls. Rebecca Shriver faced constant harassment about her physical appearance. Students even found their lockers sealed with Super Glue.
Stephanie Reinks was particularly vulnerable-constantly tormented by other students who targeted her fragility, causing her to either break down in tears or explode in profanity-laced tirades. Unlike most of their classmates, Stephanie wouldn't back down from confrontation, making her situation even more difficult. When she slammed Kersjes' office door after another incident, putting another crack in the glass, he simply let it go, understanding her frustration at the unfairness of her situation.
The Space Camp preparation process forced students to confront these personal demons. They had to develop resilience against bullying, learn to manage time pressure, overcome family obstacles, and build self-confidence. Gradually, they began forming a true team-defending each other and holding one another accountable. The turning point came when Kersjes discovered three boys harassing Stephanie and his football players rallied around them, effectively ending the bullying at Forest Hills Northern.
6장
The Transformation Begins
As the year progressed, subtle but profound changes emerged in the students. During a timed shuttle mission simulation, they mumbled their lines and jumbled technical terms. When Kersjes stopped the mission to ask what was happening, Steve Bennett admitted, "What's the use, Coach? We screwed up in the pool, we'll screw up here." Rather than berating them as he might have done with his football team, Kersjes remembered these kids carried disappointment closer to their hearts. He used sports analogies about bad practices and reminded them they needed to function as a team whether they succeeded or failed.
Media attention became a powerful motivator. Each news story reinforced the value of Dan Trierweiler's financial support and boosted the fragile egos of the special-needs students. When Channel 13 asked to film their class watching a space shuttle launch, the students impressed everyone with their scientific knowledge, identifying acronyms and shuttle components. Space Camp seemed to have a healing effect on some troubled families-perhaps seeing their children in a new light gave parents reason to believe in them again.
The most visible transformation occurred when the students received their blue NASA flight suits. They treated these uniforms with remarkable care-tucking napkins into their collars during breakfast and refusing fruit juice to avoid stains. Their pride in wearing these uniforms was transformative, similar to what Kersjes had seen with sports teams but never before with his special education students.
By the time they boarded the plane to Huntsville, the students had already changed significantly. When other students made cruel comments, calling them "retards" and refusing to sit near Ben, they handled the insults with unexpected maturity rather than reacting with their fists as they once would have. Sensing their anxiety before their first competition, Kersjes spontaneously grabbed the bus microphone and belted out Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." His terrible singing broke the tension as the kids joined in, laughing and clapping.
Perhaps the most touching transformation was seen at a school dance. A skinny, courageous football player approached Stephanie Reinks. Despite their dramatic height difference-Stephanie towering over him-he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Unfazed by their odd pairing, Stephanie smiled radiantly and rested her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun," creating the oddest but cutest couple at the dance.
7장
Proving Themselves at Space Camp
Arriving at the Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, the students were awestruck by the Mercury rocket replica and the futuristic space habitat where they would be staying. Inside, they confidently began reviewing their materials and selecting their blue NASA flight suits. During orientation, they received an unwelcome surprise-an entrance exam that evening. Despite their anxiety, Ben Schmidt remained cheerful, exclaiming "I'm good at making circles" when he learned it was multiple choice.
To everyone's astonishment, their team scored the highest average in the entire camp-18.7 out of 25 questions correct. They had outperformed some of the smartest students from around the world. This unexpected triumph boosted their confidence for the real competitions beginning the next day.
Their first mission began smoothly with a simulated liftoff, complete with shuttle vibrations and video projections of an actual launch. The critical moments went well-Scott and Stephanie executed perfect solid rocket booster separation at the two-minute mark, followed by successful external fuel tank separation. Even early anomalies like faulty switches and electrical problems were handled professionally.
Disaster struck at the eighteen-minute mark when they missed the satellite release window. Despite Scott's calm guidance, Stephanie froze, unable to remember what to do. Panic spread through the cockpit as Shannon and Stephanie finally reached the control panel too late. The girls broke down sobbing.
Just when it seemed the team would fall apart completely, Scott Goudy stepped up. "We have an hour and a half left in this mission," he announced firmly. "This is not over. Remember what Coach said: 'If you make a mistake, put it behind you.' We can make this up as a team." His leadership rallied the group.
The second half of the mission went almost perfectly. They executed the challenging shuttle docking maneuver flawlessly, and mission specialists performed their space walks wearing ice-packed suits. Ben Schmidt worked diligently in the space lab, and the team handled even serious anomalies professionally. The shuttle landed perfectly, ending with applause throughout Mission Control. Their score-an astonishing 96.5 out of 100-put them among the top teams.
For their second mission, each student rotated to a new position-Steve as pilot, Karen as commander, Brooke as flight director. When they encountered the infamous "Christmas Tree" anomaly, with dozens of lights flashing on the shuttle's back panel, Steve recognized the trick immediately and solved it within minutes. When Marion became legitimately ill and had to leave the space lab, Andrea Burke-the last person expected to step up-volunteered to complete Marion's experiment. The mission ended flawlessly with an incredible score of 98.5.
Their space station presentation showcased a hospital in space that could handle increased radiation levels, an idea conceived by Marion Mills from her personal experience at St. Jude's. Steve Bennett began with a Bela Lugosi impression that initially worried Kersjes but delighted the audience. Throughout the presentation, Steve provided subtle sound effects that enhanced rather than distracted from the narrative about astronauts' living conditions.
8장
A Victory Beyond Medals
At the graduation ceremony, the Burger King team won third place for Best Mission, a remarkable achievement considering the competition they faced from mainstream students across the country. While the students celebrated enthusiastically, jumping and hugging each other with unbridled joy, Kersjes caught himself muttering "Damn" under his breath, his competitive coaching instincts still seeking perfection. McKinney quickly elbowed him: "Just this once, try not to act like a football coach." Three categories, three top-three finishes against teams from prestigious schools and gifted programs, and somehow his coach's mentality had momentarily blinded him to the magnitude of their accomplishment.
As the ceremony continued, Dr. Barnhart approached the podium for the final and most prestigious award-the Right Stuff Award, named after the qualities celebrated in Tom Wolfe's book about the Mercury astronauts. This award recognized the individual who best displayed the characteristics of an astronaut: courage, leadership, teamwork, and determination. When Scott Goudy from their team was announced as winner, Kersjes was stunned into silence. From a room of over 150 brilliant students from across the nation, a learning disabled student from Grand Rapids who once found pleasure in picking at classmates' wounds now embodied the very ideal of Space Camp's mission.
Scott's reaction revealed a maturity that surpassed everyone's expectations. When approached by local and regional reporters eager for interviews, he politely excused himself, borrowed scissors from a counselor, and methodically cut his award ribbon into twenty precise pieces. "We're a team, right?" he explained with genuine sincerity. "Then everyone should have a piece of this." In his brief interview with the Space Camp newsletter, Scott spoke with remarkable clarity and insight: "We really didn't think we were going to win... because sometimes people don't like special people. But we did win... and we love it." His simple words captured both the prejudice they had faced and the triumph they had achieved.
Later that evening at their celebration dinner, Scott quietly moved from table to table, distributing ribbon pieces to each teammate with careful deliberation. Their casual acceptance of these precious fragments wasn't from lack of appreciation-they had expected this sharing because it exemplified the values they had developed together. They had transformed from a disparate group of special education students into something far more meaningful: they were family, where the most important things often go unspoken and the strongest bonds are shown through actions rather than words.
The trip home was remarkably peaceful and uneventful, a stark contrast to their anxiety-filled departure days earlier. From Huntsville to Atlanta, Chicago, and finally Grand Rapids, they behaved impeccably, though without the nervous energy that had characterized their outbound journey. They moved through airports with confidence and poise, handling connections and delays with remarkable maturity. As they deplaned in Grand Rapids, nothing in their behavior betrayed their status as special education students. When they emerged into the terminal, they were greeted with an overwhelming reception - cheers, clapping, and whistling from families, teachers, and local media. It was the sound of pure acceptance, something these kids had rarely experienced directed solely at them before, and their proud smiles showed they understood the significance of the moment.
9장
Legacy of a Moonshot Dream
The success of the Forest Hills Northern team opened doors for other special-needs students at Space Camp, which now offers numerous programs for learning disabled, hearing impaired and visually impaired students. Mike Kersjes went on to serve as president of Space Is Special, Inc., a non-profit organization providing special education students opportunities to enhance science and math skills through space-themed motivation. With NASA and National Science Foundation grants, the program expanded to seven states, offering hundreds of Space Camp scholarships annually.
The impact on individual students was equally profound. Steve Bennett became a paramedic and video producer. Lewis Dayhuff owns a woodworking business. Brooke Fuller works at J.C. Penney. Scott Goudy found employment at Corona Door Corporation. Marion Mills works in hospital food service and remains cancer-free. Stephanie Reinks has worked as a nurse's aide for over a decade. Ben Schmidt holds two jobs in printing and as a stock clerk.
Beyond these tangible outcomes, the Space Camp experience fundamentally changed how these students viewed themselves and how others viewed them. They proved that labels like "special education" describe learning differences, not limitations of character, determination, or potential. They demonstrated that with proper preparation, support, and opportunity, students with learning disabilities can not only participate in challenging programs but excel in them.
Perhaps most importantly, they showed that inclusion isn't just about physical access-it's about meaningful participation and the opportunity to contribute. When Scott Goudy cut his Right Stuff Award ribbon into twenty pieces, he wasn't just being generous; he was acknowledging that individual achievement in an inclusive environment is inseparable from collective effort. His gesture embodied the essence of the Space Camp experience: that we reach higher when we reach together.
In an educational landscape increasingly focused on standardized testing and measurable outcomes, "A Smile as Big as the Moon" reminds us that the most profound learning often happens when students exceed not just academic expectations, but their own sense of what's possible. Sometimes, the most important lesson isn't found in textbooks or curriculum guides-it's discovered when someone believes in you enough to help you reach for the stars.
