Women of NASA
Virtual Take Our Daughters To Work Day
QuestChat Archive

Date: April 26, 2001

Featuring: Dorie Helms
Mother of Astronaut Susan Helms

Thursday Apr 26 11:08:16 2001  The expert's featured url: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/helms.html

[ YWAC - 1 - 11:56:47 ]
Welcome, we are here with Dorie Helms, the mother of Astronaut Susan Helms.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 7 - 11:59:39 ]
Hello everyone

[ MrsDorieHelms - 8 - 12:01:53 ]
I think most importatnt thing is to expose them to expose them to a lot of positive experiences with sports and picnics and fun times with family

[ MrsDorieHelms - 9 - 12:02:44 ]
RE: [Brett] Are you able to communicate with your daughter frequently, even when she is in space?
We have email and probably get about 3 emails a week and Susan also gets one phone call a week with family or a close friend

[ MrsDorieHelms - 11 - 12:05:15 ]
RE: [Keith] How did you encourage Susan when she wanted to be an astronaut? How did you guide her and in what subjects did you encourage her to study in school?
I did not know that she wanted to be an astronaut. We just encouraged her to do the best at whatever she did. She went to the Air Force Academy and after that she decided to be an astronaut and it was a surprise to us because she really didn't talk about it. She always liked math and science however, especially physics in high school. Susan doesn't really talk about what she wants to do until it can be a reality.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 12 - 12:05:52 ]
RE: [Lisa] How did you help Susan prepare for this career?
We supported her but she did everything else herself.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 14 - 12:06:46 ]
RE: [Sally] What do you feel when your daugher lifts off and while she is on a mission? Fear? Pride?
It's hard not to think about it. When she lifts off, it's a thrill and anyone who has an opportunity should see a shuttle launch. I know she's doing what she wants to do.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 15 - 12:07:11 ]
RE: [Colby] Do you go to all your daughters launches and landings?
Yes

[ MrsDorieHelms - 26 - 12:08:31 ]
RE: [Terri] Was Susan a curious and adventurous child?
Susan was quiet, self-sufficient, and she pursued her adventures through books. She was always reading.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 27 - 12:09:30 ]
RE: [Wanda] What was Susan like as a teenager, and did you have any sense then that she would end up an astronaut?
She was an average teenager, probably a little more mature than her peers. I never worried about her doing anything foolish. She had great friends and she had a lot of interests: music, art, as well as math and science.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 28 - 12:09:59 ]
RE: [Ellie] Susan is going to be up in space for such a long time. Is that challenging for you? Or are you used to it by now?
You never get used to it.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 29 - 12:10:34 ]
RE: [MrsDorieHelms] You never get used to it.
I know she's thrilled to be there and I know she feels sorry for the rest of us who won't be able to go into space.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 35 - 12:12:24 ]
RE: [Sarah] What did you teach? Did teaching help you as a parent?
My husband was in the military. As we moved around, I taught everything from Kindergarten to 9th grade. I taught junior high language arts, literature, and social studies. Yes, I think anyone who teaches loves kids and so the most important thing for your children is to love and enjoy your children. It's an easy cross-over.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 39 - 12:14:29 ]
Susan is the oldest of four daughters. The second one is a quality control engineer, who lived in Germany with her husband and is getting ready to have twins which will be her third and fourth children, so she's not working now. the third one is a marketing director in computers. The fourth one is a physical therapist and she and her husband have three sons. They all get along really well. They take holidays together without husbands or kids or parents!

[ MrsDorieHelms - 42 - 12:16:36 ]
RE: [Sally] What did you want Susan to be when she was growing up? Did you talk about careers much?
I strongly believe that all kids need to set goals and head towards that goal. If you change your mind, that's fine, but you need to have another goal in mind so you're not rambling. she decided after she liked physics so much, she would be engineer. That and the fact that she liked the Air Force life we lived as a family. So she decided to apply when they opened the Air Force Academy to women in 1976.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 45 - 12:16:56 ]
RE: [Callie] How does it feel to know that your daughter is the first woman in the New ISS?
Terrific!

[ MrsDorieHelms - 46 - 12:17:59 ]
RE: [Erica] What has been the most exciting moment for you in observing Susan's work?
Actually, the space station has been very exciting for me because I believe it's a road in the world learning to get along together because space belongs to everyone. I love that she works with people from all around the world.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 49 - 12:18:59 ]
RE: [Mimi] What does Susan like to do in her free time? What did she like to do when she was a child?
She still loves to read and she likes to cook. She had, until she went into space, cats. She loves to shop. She also likes to travel. She plays in a jazz band with other astronauts.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 53 - 12:20:48 ]
RE: [Mimi] Do you have any advice for students who don't know what they want to do yet?
Expose yourself to a lot of different career fields. the Take Your daughter to Work Day is a great idea. Read about different careers, and read biographies. Take different summer jobs that fit your interests. (If you want to be a doctor: try being a candy-striper) Also go to your career counselor or take career tests.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 55 - 12:21:44 ]
RE: [Arna] What mothering "tips" do you have from over the years?
Listen to your children; get to know them because we see things not as they are but as we are, so each of your children and you are going to see things a little differently. Try to see the world through their eyes.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 56 - 12:23:11 ]
RE: [MarciaGillian] Who was your favorite teacher? What did he/she teach you about life/yourself?
I went to a small elementary school in Cumberland, Maryland and i loved each of my elementary school teachers. They all were very different and they all had different expectations for me. I really liked them all for different reasons.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 60 - 12:24:10 ]
RE: [kimatmillennium] what do you think has brought your daughter to this point?what major obsticals did she have hard times overcoming?
I think hard work has brought her to this point. I think when the obstacles came, she worked harder.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 61 - 12:24:41 ]
RE: [MrsDorieHelms] I think hard work has brought her to this point. I think when the obstacles came, she worked harder.
I'm sure that in some way being female has been an obstacle but she never talked about it or used it as an excuse.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 62 - 12:25:28 ]
RE: [KeironatMillennium] 1) Since your daughter seems to love being in space do you ever want to go up there to see what she loves about it so much?
I'm not that much of a risk taker, but her father would love to go.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 66 - 12:26:31 ]
RE: [davidatmillennium] when did susan tell you see was going to work on the ISS?
She told us about five years ago. I thought it was terrific and told her to go for it. It seemed very natural that this was the next step after her shuttle flights. She loves being in space.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 72 - 12:27:37 ]
RE: [MrsDorieHelms] She was never a tomboy.
Susan was feminine and still is. She loves clothes and makeup and fashion.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 75 - 12:28:52 ]
RE: [Marika] Were you ever scared that your daughter would get injured in space?
I think that most of the bad things that happen to us in life are not things that we worry about. Life just kind of kicks you from behind, so I really don't worry about what I can't change or have no control over. She's in my prayers every night and she's doing what she wants to do. But of course, i'm a mother and of course I worry.

[ YWAC - 77 - 12:30:15 ]
Thank you very much, that's all the time we have for today. We really appreciate all the time that Mrs. Helms has given to us today.

[ MrsDorieHelms - 78 - 12:30:32 ]
Thank your for all your questions.

[ davidatmillennium - 79 - 12:34:20 ]
hey thank you for takeing your time to chat with us

[ Mistyatmillennium - 80 - 12:34:20 ]
thank you for your time. it was nice chatting with you.

[ kimatmillennium - 81 - 12:34:20 ]
hi, thanx for chatting w/ us. i am at Millennium Middle School in Sanford,Fl.

[ KeironatMillennium - 82 - 12:34:20 ]
Thank-you for chatting with us. It was a great experience!

[davidatmillennium - 83 - 12:34:20 ]
thank you for chating with us