Fairview High School students on Monday heard from one of their school’s alumni who now works aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder in 2006, but she knew she wanted to be an astronaut even before then.

Watkins and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti answered questions from Fairview students about what it’s like being in space and how they worked to get there.

Watkins said being away from Earth is both one of the coolest parts of her job and the most challenging. This is her first trip to space, and she said launching was a culmination of all her training and also a dream she’s had for a long time.

“We really focused on the operational moment and making sure that we have everything in line and the vehicle is performing the way that it’s supposed to, but there’s also just this overwhelming joy and excitement,” Watkins said.

Before going to space, Watkins said she worked primarily as a geologist and was always fascinated by rocks, so she said seeing mountains and canyons from space is an exciting opportunity for her.

Cristoforetti told students that impacts of climate change can be visible from space and that she notices differences between different trips to space, including the extension of glaciers and lakes. Droughts and wildfires are also visible, she said.

Watkins is the first Black woman sent on a long-duration space mission, and one student asked her about the difficulties she faced because of her race and how she overcame them.

“For me, the things that have enabled me to make it through those harder times and overcome those obstacles has been finding mentors and friends and support networks that have helped encourage me along the path to pursue the things that I was interested in and find opportunities that helped me pursue my dreams,” Watkins said. “So I’d encourage you and anyone else to do the same.”