Congressman Eric Sorensen | Congressman Eric Sorensen website
Congressman Eric Sorensen | Congressman Eric Sorensen website
MOLINE, IL - On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) welcomed NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins to the Quad Cities to meet with students and emphasize the importance of science and education.
“In 20 years, when we’re sending the next generation of explorers to Mars, they’re going to be the kids sitting in our elementary schools today,” said Congressman Sorensen. “It's so important to introduce our kids to the wonders of science so those scientists and thinkers can grow up in places like Central and Northwestern Illinois.”
On Wednesday, Sorensen and Dr. Rubins hosted a forum at Black Hawk College. The following day, the pair visited classrooms and participated in an assembly at Hamilton Elementary School, where students asked questions about being in space and becoming an astronaut.
Dr. Rubins has a background in biology and studied viral diseases before becoming a NASA astronaut in July 2009. She has been on four spacewalks and has spent 300 days in space.
Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
Original source can be found here.
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