Tuesday Is 'Yvonne Cagle Day' in Petaluma

NASA astronaut Dr. Yvonne Cagle will visit two Petaluma schools Tuesday -- May 27 -- to share with students the importance of technology and receive a proclamation in her honor.

Cagle will go to Wilson Elementary School at 10 a.m. to visit the brand new computer lab, then on to Petaluma High School at 11 a.m. to receive an award. 

The City of Petaluma is proclaiming Tuesday “Yvonne Cagle Day,” and both events are free and open to the public.

“Dr. Cagle is such an amazing role model, I see this as a great opportunity to energize our next generation of explorers,” said Joe Noriel of History Connection.

Cagle knows firsthand what happens when kids get excited about technology.

Her own passion for science ignited at the age of 12 when she watched the TV broadcast of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.
  
She became an astronaut, serving as an Air Force medical liaison officer for the STS-20 Atlantis shuttle mission to test the Magellan Spacecraft.

Now employed at NASA Ames Research Center, Cagle is the facility's astronaut science liaison and strategic relationships manager.

Among her many other roles, she is also a consulting professor for Stanford University's department of cardiovascular medicine.

Her awards include Outstanding Young Women of America; National Defense Service Medal; Air Force Achievement Medal; United States Air Force (USAF) Air Staff Exceptional Physician Commendation; National Technical Association Distinguished Scientist Award. 

Cagle was born in New York, but considers Novato her hometown, graduating from Novato High School in 1977.

Petaluma Blacks for Community Development will also be participating in the events.