Girard College graduate's legacy sends students to space camp, inspires next generation of explorers

At Girard College, a dream that began decades ago is still taking flight.

Alumni say the historic North Philadelphia boarding school has long empowered students to create change. One of those change makers was the late Charles Hicks, whose legacy is now inspiring students to reach for the stars.

Hicks, a graduate of Girard College, once dreamed of becoming an astronaut or pilot. But according to his brother, Theodore Hicks, that dream was cut short.

"My brother always wanted to be an astronaut or pilot in the dreaming aspect of youth, but medically he was not able to perform due to sickle cell anemia," Theodore Hicks, a member of Girard's Class of 1977, said.

Though his health prevented him from pursuing space travel himself, Charles Hicks never stopped believing that exploration even beyond Earth should be accessible to everyone.

"There's no greater opportunity than the world that's outside of even our world Earth," Theodore Hicks said. "And the fascination of that was something that drove our thinking."

A scholarship that launches futures

Determined to open doors for future generations, Charles Hicks established a scholarship through the Girard College Alumni Association. The program sends students to space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where they train like astronauts.

Students participate in hands-on missions, engineering challenges and astronaut simulations at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, home of Space Camp.

Jeremiah Price, a senior at Girard College High School, was one of the students selected to attend last summer.

"Doing the missions on top of the spacecraft is definitely the fun part and having to fix solar panels and stuff on the spaceship was definitely a fun experience," Price said.

From strapping into a multi-axis trainer that simulates an out-of-control spacecraft to spending hours working through International Space Station simulations, Price said the experience reshaped how he views his future.

"It felt pretty normal, like I'm sitting right now," Price said. "But from an outside view, all this spinning going on, and it's wild, and you felt yourself spinning, but since you were sitting down in the same space."

The training did more than thrill him. It inspired him.

"That would drive me to go to space one day," he said.

Following in historic footsteps

If Price does end up in space, he wouldn't be the first Philadelphian to make history in orbit.

In 1983, Dr. Guion Bluford became the first Black American astronaut to travel to space. His groundbreaking achievement opened doors and expanded representation in STEM fields across the country.

For students like Price, seeing pioneers like Bluford and benefactors like Charles Hicks makes the dream feel possible.

"To have people who actually paved the way for me, it's nothing for me to be grateful," Price said.

An out-of-this-world impact

Charles Hicks may not have reached space himself. But through his scholarship and vision, his impact continues to soar.

At Girard College, alumni say empowerment is more than a message; it's a mission.

And thanks to one man's dream, the sky is no longer the limit.