John Velarde-Brandt's love of astronomy and space travel is embedded in his DNA as far back as he can remember. As he continued his love of astronomy through middle school and high school, he joined local Astronomy clubs and attended high school courses at New Mexico Tech which included visiting the Very Large Array in Pie Town. After graduating high school, he enrolled at New Mexico Tech with the intention of completing a degree in astrophysics. After his freshman year, he transferred to the University of New Mexico and continued studying optical Astronomy. His love of astronomy continued through college and beyond. Currently, John loves to study the stars with his telescope with his children to inspire them to study STEM fields including 'the stars.'