Daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard to speak in Blanco

Julie Jenkins, the daughter of Rear Admiral Alan Shepard USN, the first American in space, commander of the Apollo 14 mission, and the only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk on the moon, will present a program to the Blanco County Association of Retired Educators on April 25 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Johnson City United Methodist Church, 105 North LBJ Drive, in Johnson City. The talk begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.

Jenkins’ program will highlight her father’s career, her experiences growing up in an astronaut’s family, and the path she followed into flight. Her talk will also bring attention to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation that her father, along with the other Mercury 7 astronauts, founded that provides more than 60 scholarships annually to the brightest scholars in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the U.S. For additional information about the scholarship program go to astronautscholarship. org.