|
Successful and Balanced: Ms. Julie Payette
As the first Canadian to board the International Space Station, Julie Payette has long since earned herself a place in the history books. In addition to the nine days, 19 hours, and 13 minutes she has logged in space, the Montreal-born engineer is an experienced pilot, can speak six languages, holds 14 honourary degrees and is an accomplished athlete who enjoys skiing, running and deep-sea diving. She believes her nature as a polyvalent (a “versatile person” in French) was the chief reason she was selected in 1992 from more than 5,000 applicants for the Canadian Space Agency astronaut training program.
 
On top of everything else, she has to balance the many demands of her career with the responsibilities of her family (three-year-old and 14-year-old sons) with her husband back home in Montreal. So, how does a busy astronaut cope with the competing demands of life and work? Surprisingly, her answer lies in the arts.
For as long as she can remember, Payette has played piano and sang in choirs: a pastime that in her childhood took her all the way to Carnegie Hall. “My life has always been busy, but also has always been well-balanced,” she says. ”Balance and variety are a critical release for anyone who is a high achiever and I’m no different that way.”
Lifelong learning in action
Aside from her duties as an astronaut, Payette is part of a motivational program that promotes learning in and out the classroom. Addressing school groups and the general public across North America, she makes as many as 50 presentations a year from Yukon to remote parts of Newfoundland in an effort to inspire others to become fully accomplished human beings. Payette admits that it’s not always easy to convince audiences that they can achieve great things. Part of the problem is that she and her colleagues occasionally come across as too accomplished to emulate.
“The impression is that we’re perfect and we’re robots, but that’s not the case. We’re just people who have the skills and personality to do this job well. Human beings are human beings.”
Source: http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Newsroom/Profiles/PILJuliePayette.htm
|
