AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora art teacher is used to seeing his artwork featured on Earth, but now his work has reached new heights aboard the International Space Station.
Thad McCauley shared with Denver7 how his artwork made the journey to outer space digitally.
"Growing up, I really just loved to draw and create, build tree houses, and just always work with my hands," McCauley said.
Since McCauley was a little boy, he says he has had a passion for the arts, which those around him encouraged him to pursue.
"My parents were very supportive of that, and I had some really good art teachers when I was young. Mrs. Jenkins, my elementary teacher, she was amazing," McCauley said.
That love for the arts never died, instead catalyzing to teach students in Aurora about the arts for the past 24 years. McCauley teaches at Aurora Frontier, teaching kindergarten through 8th grade students.
During school, McCauley learned about a contest his students could enter to have their artwork featured aboard the International Space Station.
"So I told my fifth and sixth graders, I'm like, 'Hey, do you guys want to enter this?' And they were into it as well. So we made a bunch of art. I let those fifth and sixth graders either create a piece by themselves or with a partner," McCauley said.
Not only did his students enter, but McCauley also decided to shoot for the stars by entering his piece under the adult artists category. With his iPad in hand, he whipped up a piece of artwork that won.
"So you see inside the International Space Station, some type of observation window, and the Earth and some stars in the background, and then some pieces of art and some of the poetry floating there. I'm like, 'Wait a second! That is my drawing.' And it was just one of those moments of kind of pure joy that sometimes you get," McCauley said.
The Loveland native is proud to represent his school and to share his passion.
"It just really made me feel like a little kid again. That young boy growing up in Loveland who loved making art and Star Wars, NASA, and outer space. I just was truly surprised, and it felt great," McCauley said.
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