STOCKTON, Calif. — The journey of the Stockton farmworker turned NASA astronaut is set to debut soon on the silver screen.
"A Million Miles Away" follows Stockton native Jose Hernandez as he strives to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. Michael Peña portrays Hernandez in the movie.
For Hernandez, it's a retelling of a story that's reached thousands as a book but is prepared to reach millions as a movie.
“After that (the books), people started saying this story belongs in the movies, and it wasn't until a production house, Select Films, approached me... I decided, 'Hey, I'm gonna go with these guys,'” said Hernandez.
The production company was also behind films such as McFarland, USA and Secretariat.
The new movie is set to release on Sept. 15, but students and other guests were invited to a special screening of the film at the University of the Pacific, Hernandez's alma mater Wednesday.
He hopes people can come away from the movie empowered to reach their maximum potential. Hernandez was rejected by NASA 11 times before he was selected.
“Think about that. Whenever you think about giving up on a goal. Have you really tried hard enough? Have you learned from the failures and are you willing to give it another shot? I certainly was. And let me tell you blasting off into space, it was worth it,” he said.
While being a role model wasn't the goal he initially saw when aimed to become an astronaut, it's one he chose to embrace, becoming a poster child for NASA.
“When I got selected as an astronaut, quite honestly, I did it for selfish reasons. I wanted to go to space. But then I realized that how much attention was being put on me, I realized that I became an instant role model,” said Hernandez.
He urges people to pick a challenge, persevere and reach for the stars.
“I think one can create opportunities if one is willing to work hard. Don't be afraid to dream big. You know, the American Dream is alive and well, if you're willing to work hard for it and prepare yourself according to the challenge you pick,” said Hernandez.
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