Hidden Potential

In 1989, José Hernández applied to become a NASA astronaut — a dream he’d held since he was 10 years old. He’d done everything right. But amid fierce competition for astronaut slots, his application was rejected. Undaunted, Hernández submitted fresh applications at every opportunity, while continuing to upgrade his qualifications: He earned a pilot’s license, gained a SCUBA certification, and attained proficiency in the Russian language.

What Hernández failed to do was inform NASA that he was the son of a migrant farmer and had grown up in poverty. Only when he advanced to become a finalist in NASA’s selection process — after persevering for 10 years — did he speak during an interview about his hardships and the fact that he had had to exercise far more than the usual level of initiative, determination, and discipline to become a NASA candidate.