How One Little Girl Sold Enough Lemonade To Fulfill Her Space Camp Dream
In fact, over the past year, her mom Cidne Henry estimates her daughter has sold more than 1,000 glasses of lemonade (and hot chocolate in the winter), to make her dream of attending the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, a reality.
Ezri first got interested in the solar system at age 5 because her parents, Cidne and Eric, are space enthusiasts. 'I'm just really fascinated by all that's going on,' Ezri tells Parents about her love of space and desire to become an astronaut. 'There are different planets, and planets beyond our solar system, and I want to experience that for myself.'
Her first step in making that happen was to reach out to Research Astronaut Kellie Gerardi on Instagram, at the suggestion of her mom. Gerardi suggested Ezri go to Space Camp to immersive herself in all things space.
Then, it was on to fundraising. Her mom shares that Ezri's school and local businesses also helped raise money for her, and the hopeful astronaut received donations from members of the community of up to $50 a pop."There are different planets, and planets beyond our solar system, and I want to experience that for myself."Ultimately, the 11-year-old ended up raising $1,800, and was able to attend Space Camp last June. She loved the experience so much she already plans to keep raising money to go back! 'It was really fun, and I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know,' she says.
'My favorite part was the simulated space mission,' Ezri shares. 'There were a ton of problems, but we got them fixed and we kept going.' She adds that her team had to work together rather than individually.
But that's not all she took from the experience. 'My other favorite part was [learning] about the constellations and how people see patterns,' she tells Parents.
The mother and daughter duo also shared their tips for helping other kids achieve their camp goals. The most important one? Don't get discouraged, advises Ezri. 'Even if it's hard, keep going because eventually you'll get to your goal,' she says.
Here's how to make their dream summer camp a reality, according to Ezri and Cidne:
Stay motivated. Ezri says her parents helped her not to give up. Meanwhile, Cidne shares this advice: 'If your child wants to go to Space Camp—or whichever camp they set their sight on—I would say to encourage them to find ways to earn it and work towards it, to always support them, always be behind them, and give them the courage to do so, because it's not going to be easy.'
Support kids every step of the way. Cidne says supporting your child's goal is so important. 'If you keep pushing them along, they're going to make it, and they're going to do big things—and you're going to be there to support them through it,' she shares.
Foster self-confidence and independence in your child. 'I want her to have the confidence that she can achieve anything her incredible imagination can come up with because she has a huge imagination,' Cidne shares."Even if it's hard, keep going because eventually you'll get to your goal,"As for future plans for Ezri—other than raising more money for Space Camp next year—she hopes to become the first woman on Mars. 'It's definitely going to take a lot of college and a lot of training—and definitely courage,' the inspiring little girl says.
Ezri was especially buoyed to continue reaching for the stars by three-time space shuttle astronaut Dr. Jan Davis, who spoke to campers. 'I was just amazed, and it was just crazy seeing a real astronaut,' Ezri shares. 'She kept going and reached her goal.'
Indeed, Cidne hopes her daughter's experience at Space Camp helped her begin to develop a mental picture of what her dreams can turn into. 'I hope she looks back at her entire experience and she believes in herself and understands big goals are built on small achievements, one after the other, and that she can reach those big goals.'
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