On the 30th anniversary of Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, people all over the country are remembering and honoring those who lost their lives.
Tammy Hickey, a Physical Education teacher at Martha B. King Middle School in Bradenton, was in Christa McAuliffe’s class the year she was set to teach in space.
She said she remembers January 28th, 1986 like it was yesterday, her classmates glued to the TV screen, anxiously awaiting lift-off.
The shuttle exploded 73 seconds later, taking the lives of everyone on board.
Three decades later, Hickey still has yearbook pictures, postcards and newspapers to remind her of Christa McAuliffe and the entire Challenger crew. She hopes to spread McAuliffe’s message to her own students.
"She was fantastic absolutely fantastic she would include everybody she made everybody feel comfortable,” Hickey said. "I want to emulate what she did with us to my students make them feel special, make them know that I care, and if it makes a difference in one student's life, it's worth it.”
Hickey’s students weren’t even born when the Challenger tragedy occurred, but are old enough to realize its importance.
"I never even thought about someone like Miss Hickey, one of my own teachers, being a humongous part of American history," said student Chris Snyder. "it's super rare."