He who gives a child a treat makes joy-bells ring in Heaven's street". This verse from John Masefield's poem Everlasting mercy, may well be an apt description of the epoch-making space trip by a 16-year-old Nigerian student, Miss Stella Felix, this Saturday, September 23. The space treat which kicks off at the prestigious John F. Kennedy space centre in Orlando, Florida, United States of America, (USA), is the first by any student outside the U.S.A.

By all accounts, Miss Felix's journey by any African student is an inspirational story of a local girl made good by dint of hard work. Coming at a time when the vast majority of Nigerians are disenchanted with the political leadership in our country, is like a fairy tale, a dream come true for an unimpressionable young girl. Miss Felix is currently a senior secondary school student of Moremi High School, Ile-Ife. The honour done her will no doubt inspire hope and set her apart as a rare role model for Nigerian youths searching for a philosophy of life.

As the hour ticks for Miss Felix for the once-in-a-life time adventure, news from the Kennedy space centre speaks of the Zero-G-plane which is already revving for take-off. For emphasis, Zero -G flight is a two-hour mission on shuttle manned by specially trained pilot maneuvering the space aircraft at between 24,000 and 32,000 feet altitude above sea level.

The gesture to Miss Felix is courtesy of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). It's part of the agency's efforts to promote the interest of students at both elementary and secondary school levels. Emphasis is on students with special talent in the core sciences, in particular aeronautical engineering. The overall aim includes inspiring education on a global basis while promoting international understanding among youths of the world. The facility and privilege to be enjoyed by the young Nigerian student is similar to those used by the US National Space Administration for the training of real astronauts, and it is an initiative packaged by the American Spaceweek International Association (SIA), a non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas, in partnership with the Zero-G corporation of Florida, the sunshine state of American.

Without any shadow of a doubt, Miss Felix's space trip this weekend represents a classic example of the American dream. She is a girl of poor background, yet with a compelling story to tell in academic excellence. Hers is a profile that soars in adversity. She is reported to walk daily to her school several kilometres away from her home, yet she remains poised and focused on her studies. It was the sort of profile the Spaceweek International Association, sponsors of the space trip, said they were looking for. Miss Felix was consequently nominated among the list of other competing students by the centre for Space Science and Technology Education, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

It therefore follows that the space trip by the Nigerian student is a demonstration that hardwork has its rewards. And the benefit Miss Felix will get from the awesome experience cannot be quantified. In addition to the knowledge and exposure, her participation will no doubt portray Nigeria as a savvy, technology striving nation anchored on the determination and zeal of the youth. In this regard, we see the exploits Miss Felix will make in the space trip as a motivation for our students striving to make a career in astronomy and aeronautical engineering, a field Nigeria needs more brains to make headway in her technological endeavours.

For us in Nigeria, as Miss Felix is set to board the weightless flight from the Kennedy space centre, one thing is clear: the future of every nation lies with the new generation of youths and excelling in their chosen careers is one sure way of unlocking the barriers that lie ahead. Miss Felix needs to be reminded that she is carrying Nigeria's flag and that of the African continent as a whole, and that requires always keeping her mind undistracted from issues that have always denied the ambition of many of our youths.

We thank the organizers of the programme for finding her most worthy. Other talents abound in Nigeria, looking for the window of opportunities to shine. No doubt, Miss Felix's trip will be a nervy one with butter flies in her stomach, for that is usual with flight adventure of this magnitude. But her trip will, in the end, be a box office story from which a best seller can be written. As a child born without a silver spoon in her mouth we advise her not to be carried away by her feat. She should see her trip to space as a stepping stone to greater feats.