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“My life has always been busy, but also has always been well-balanced,” Payette says. “Balance and variety are a critical release for anyone who is a high achiever and I’m no different that way.”
As the first Canadian to board the International Space Station, Julie Payette has long since earned herself a place in the history books. Yet in the nine years since that historic moment it’s unlikely that Payette has slowed down long enough to consider its significance. Like most of her colleagues at the Canadian Space Agency the 44-year-old is a case study in over-achievement.
In addition to the nine days, 19 hours, and 13 minutes she has logged in space, the Montreal-born engineer is an experienced pilot, can speak six languages, holds 14 honourary degrees and is an accomplished athlete who enjoys skiing, running and deep-sea diving. She believes her nature as a polyvalent (a “versatile person” in French) was the chief reason she was selected in 1992 from more than 5,000 applicants for the Canadian Space Agency astronaut training program.
“The polyvalent is someone who has the background to adapt to any situation and also has the personality characteristics that allow them to be adaptable,” she explains from her office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. “It is an ideal way of life not only for aspiring astronauts, but also for anyone who strives for excellence.”
On top of everything else, she has to balance the many demands of her career with the responsibilities of her family (three-year-old and 14-year-old sons) with her husband back home in Montreal. So, how does a busy astronaut cope with the competing demands of life and work? Surprisingly, her answer lies in the arts. For as long as she can remember, Payette has played piano and sang in choirs: a pastime that in her childhood took her all the way to Carnegie Hall. This commitment to music continued through adolescence and into adulthood. She currently keeps two pianos in her house in Montreal and has performed soprano in a number of choirs, including Toronto’s Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and the Montreal Symphonic Orchestra Chamber Choir.
Like the majority of astronauts, Julie Payette is the model of a high-achiever, ably balancing the demands of a high-paced career with the responsibilities of a family, all the while pursuing a personal passion in the arts. CCL’s first Minerva Lecture Series, a free, travelling series of talks delivered by leading Canadian researchers, featured a presentation by Dr. Jacqueline P. Leighton that examines what the unique learning characteristics of high-level performers can tell us about learning in general.
To listen to a podcast of the lecture, or view Dr. Leighton's PowerPoint presentation, see the Minerva Lecture Series website.
Arts educators have long argued that active involvement in the arts has an overwhelmingly positive effect on students, but until recently there has been little research to support this notion. Over the past few years a number of studies have been published that draw a line between the arts and student performance.
A 1999 report by the U.S.-based Arts Education Partnership found that learners can attain higher levels of achievement through participation in the arts, and that such participation can actually help “level the playing field” for economically disadvantaged students. To read the study itself, see Champions for Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning. (PDF, 1.41 MB)
Payette says she is by no means an exception; most of her NASA colleagues make a point of taking part in some form of artistic pursuit, both for the sheer pleasure it gives them and as a form of stress relief.
“My life has always been busy, but also has always been well-balanced,” she says. ”Balance and variety are a critical release for anyone who is a high achiever and I’m no different that way.” In fact, NASA even has its own rock band, Max Q—short for “maximum quotient,” the point after take off when aerodynamic stress on a spacecraft is maximized— that Payette has played with on occasion.
“We also listen to music a great deal when we’re in space,” she adds. “In the space station you have no family with you, no fresh air, no fresh food; without music as a release and a comfort it would be an almost impossible job.”
Recent studies have also suggested that the arts can have a positive impact on lifelong learning, both in children and adults, by bolstering self-esteem, enhancing communication skills and increase an individual’s overall employability. A 2006 UNESCO report emphasized the importance of arts education in Canadian schools, concluding that “engagement with the arts and cultural expression strengthens the creative process, encourages social and inter-cultural harmony and develops individuals of confidence, imagination and transformative vision.”
Payette’s varied learning experiences have been indispensable to her success on missions. After receiving her final astronaut training in 1998 at the Johnson Space Center, she served as a mission specialist during the 1999 Space Shuttle Discovery flight, a position that saw her operate the Canadarm. It was during this mission that she worked on the International Space Station, where she says she had to be prepared to face unexpected situations.
“On board a space craft you have to be a technical specialist and a jack-of-all-trades. We’re scientists, engineers, cooks, cleaners, repairmen, pilots, construction workers for the International Space Station, and proxy scientists who carry out experiments on behalf of scientists who aren’t travelling with us. You have to be ready for anything.”
Aside from her duties as an astronaut, Payette is part of a motivational program that promotes learning in and out the classroom. Addressing school groups and the general public across North America, she makes as many as 50 presentations a year from Yukon to remote parts of Newfoundland in an effort to inspire others to become fully accomplished human beings. Payette admits that it’s not always easy to convince audiences that they can achieve great things. Part of the problem is that she and her colleagues occasionally come across as too accomplished to emulate.
“The impression is that we’re perfect and we’re robots, but that’s not the case. We’re just people who have the skills and personality to do this job well. Human beings are human beings.”
For those who wish to follow her career as an astronaut, she recommends adopting the polyvalent lifestyle, but stresses the importance of making the right educational choices. While math, sciences and engineering are critical requirements for all astronauts, she always reminds her audiences about the importance of leading a rich, varied life.
“Don’t silo yourself in academics,” she says. “Although astronaut selection committees are impressed by candidates who can demonstrate strong academics, they are also looking for well-rounded individuals.” Payette encourages her audiences to live lives that show imagination, perseverance and ingenuity.
“For example, when the selection committee asked me about my abilities as a team player, I used my choral singing experience to show them I would make an excellent astronaut,” she explains. “My point was that you cannot make beautiful music with dozens of other people unless you’re able to work well as part of a team. So there’s no question that my musical background has helped me succeed in this amazing career.”