North Carolina educator shares his experience going to space

CHAPEL HILL, NC (WWAY) — One North Carolina educator reached for the stars and accomplishing a dream he’d worked toward for more than 50 years.

Jim Kitchen has been a professor at UNC Chapel Hill’s business school for more than a decade, but has dreamed of going to space since he was a little kid.

He finally accomplished that goal a month ago, taking a Blue Origin Rocket Flight 66 miles above the earth at 2,300 miles an hour. The explorer, who has visited every single country recognized by the United Nations, remembers applying for this expedition dozens of times a week a month before coming aboard.

Kitchen says what he saw and experiencing zero gravity have changed him forever.

“What I saw from 66 miles above was just a borderless planet,” Kitchen said. “And it was beautiful and you know, for me as a teacher, a professor at UNC, being able to teach my students that anything is possible and to push through boundaries, physical and emotional boundaries, and to keep that dream alive. For me, it was 50 year dream of going to space. Those are very special points that I can bring to my classroom.”

Now that Kitchen has visited what’s above, his next trip will send him in the opposite direction, one of the lowest points on earth.

You can keep up with Kitchen’s ventures by clicking this link.