Since childhood, the planets and space always held Andrew Salata's interest. Watching sci-fi let him imagine what it would be like to boldly explore. He received his first telescope when he was 12, but it took him until he was an adult to really learn how to use it. His interest in amateur astronomy increased by learning from others. Andrew volunteers as a telescope facilitator at the Adler Planetarium and gets to share his passion for observation with others. An early memory involving science is of his third-grade teacher recognizing his interest in space exploration. She gave him a packet of NASA pictures. This was in the early 80’s, so hardcopy pictures were the medium. These pictures were from the Apollo program. Andrew doesn’t have the pictures anymore, but he still remembers how much he treasured those pictures. Because there was someone who recognized his interest in space exploration and science, his interest in the field grew. He looks to pay it forward and ignite an interest in others. He enjoys talking about astronomy and sharing what he knows with others.