Astronaut Dr. John Herrington visits CMU as part of Astronauts for America

CMU welcomed astronaut Dr. John Herrington to campus on September 16 as part of the Astronauts for America, For America college tour, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and community members for an evening centered on civic engagement, leadership, and representation.

The event was hosted through a partnership between the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center's Central Votes program and the Office of Indigenous Affairs and was held in CMU's Center for Student Inclusion and Diversity (CSID).

For Kasey Perez, director of the Office of Indigenous Affairs, Herrington's visit represented an important opportunity to bring Indigenous representation and civic engagement together on campus.

"We appreciated the opportunity to highlight the importance of civic engagement and our shared responsibility to vote," Perez said. "Dr. Herrington’s message reminded us that our voices matter, and that each of us has the opportunity to make our voice heard in our communities and beyond."

Herrington, a former NASA astronaut and member of the Chickasaw Nation, made history as the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space. His visit offered the CMU community an opportunity to hear from someone whose experiences span military service, space exploration, education, and advocacy.

As part of the Astronauts for America college tour, Herrington's appearance also connected his personal journey to the importance of civic participation. The conversation encouraged attendees to consider how individual voices and experiences contribute to their communities and to the democratic process.

The collaboration between Central Votes and the Office of Indigenous Affairs provided an opportunity to connect civic engagement programming with Indigenous representation and perspectives. Bringing Herrington to campus allowed students to see how leadership and service can take many forms.

With more than 60 attendees filling the CSID, the event demonstrated the power of campus partnerships to create meaningful educational experiences beyond the classroom.

Herrington's visit also served as a reminder that civic engagement is about more than any single election. It is about recognizing the ability each person has to contribute, lead and help shape the future of their community.

For Central Votes and the Office of Indigenous Affairs, the evening provided an opportunity to bring those ideas together while giving the CMU community the chance to learn from a trailblazer whose own story reflects the impact of service and representation.