This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
As the Challenger launch date approached in January 1986, sixth-grader Kim Bleier rushed home from the Conant School each afternoon to catch the latest news on television, captivated by a mission that was set to make Concord High School social studies teacher Christa McAuliffe the first civilian to reach space.
Nearly 40 years after that mission ended in tragedy, Bleier – herself a Concord High social studies teacher – pressed play last Friday on a newly-released PBS documentary called Christa, which celebrates her predecessor’s life.
“Good afternoon from downtown Concord, New Hampshire, home of America’s first teacher in space…,” the film begins with a shot of McAuliffe waving as she parades down Main Street.
“You are in the space where Christa McAuliffe started every class day at CHS,” Bleier reminded her students.
Not only was their classroom once McAuliffe’s office, their elective course – Street Law – was once her class.
About 20 minutes into the documentary, the cinematographers cut to a shot of that very class, taken about a month ago.
“I gave such a nasty look,” said senior Keara Carpenter, grimacing.
After Bleier’s students got over the initial shock of appearing in the film, they acknowledged it felt both surreal and meaningful to be the newest participants in a history that had previously felt rather distant to many of them.
“I knew she was a big deal but I didn’t really realize she was a teacher at Concord High School,” said senior Isabella Sargeant. “I thought maybe she just lived somewhere around here, taught somewhere, but I didn’t realize that I’m actually in a class that she taught, in one of the rooms that she would have been in.”
Junior Elizabeth Downing, who is taking both Street Law and a course McAuliffe developed called American Women’s History, described her as “one of my biggest heroes.”
“She wanted to do so much change and I am a very big person about wanting to do change,” said Downing, who hopes to become a human rights lawyer and activist.
Unlike those in her teacher’s generation, Downing’s path to idolizing McAuliffe came later. Though she grew up in Concord, it took a trip to Connecticut two years ago for her to fully grasp just how famous Christa McAuliffe really is.
Near the hotel in Hartford where Downing stayed, she came across a mural of influential women: Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and Christa McAuliffe.
“That’s really when it hit me that she was not just a big thing in New Hampshire but in other states,” Downing said.
As the 40th anniversary of the Challenger disaster approaches, the film – released last Thursday – seeks to introduce both Concord students and the entire country to McAuliffe by focusing on her life rather than her death. The short documentary describes McAuliffe’s selection from over 11,000 applicants, focuses on the creation of the new State House statue unveiled in September, and takes viewers inside classrooms – both in the 1980s and today.
The producer of the documentary, Kathleen Young, reached out to Bleier after coming across footage of the 30th anniversary, which Bleier helped organize.
Bleier, who is in her 28th year teaching at Concord High, sat down for an interview for the film on high school graduation day last spring.
Then this fall, Young reached out to Bleier again.
“She was putting together the pieces of the documentary and felt like … students were missing,” Bleier said. “So she contacted me September or October and asked if she and her cameraman could come into a class and specifically a class that Christa once taught.”
Bleier is featured prominently throughout the film.
“My favorite part is how much of her voice is featured in this,” Bleier said on Friday after the screening. “I don’t think I’ve heard so much of her voice telling her story since 1985, 1986 when I was rushing home every day to watch her on the news.”
The film ends with the recitation of a poignant poem written by an unnamed Christa McAuliffe School student:
Oh great Christa McAuliffe who went into space,
Sadly left us with barely a trace,
Our school is named in her honor,
And now we reflect upon her,
Her bravery, her legacy, her grace.
Thank you Christa McAuliffe for all you have done,
You brought us smiles, pride, and fun,
The world was heartbroken when you perished,
But now your life will be forever cherished.
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