Jamaica’s all-reggae radio station, IRIE FM, on December 1, hosted Antigua & Barbuda’s trailblazer Keisha Schahaff, who broke new frontiers in human endeavor with her teenage daughter by becoming the first Caribbean Citizen Astronauts and only two of very few Black women to travel into space.
Keisha’s trip to Jamaica was made possible through the efforts of Ardenne High School’s past students, Dave Rodney, Ardenne, Caribbean Airlines, the Jamaica Tourist Board, Altamont Hotels, and Couples Resorts.
Schahaff became an instant media magnet on her return from space, appearing on all major American networks. She waxed about her most unusual voyage with Irie FM’s host DJ Sunshine, telling listeners, “Going to space was a dream come true for me…It is very high risk, but during the training, it taught us so much about the spacecraft that we felt comfortable. My daughter is a science major studying physics and philosophy; this is what she wants to do as a career. This was a great opportunity for her ” she opined.
Regarding the Virgin Galactic trip, Schahaff said, “It is a mindset shift going to space. It is a new perspective seeing our planet from above,” she said.
Irie FM Sales Manager Nicholas Evans told Caribbean Times he was over the moon about Schahaff’s visit.
“It felt great for Irie FM to host the first Caribbean woman in space in our studios…She took us on the journey to space, and our listeners got an opportunity to relive it with her. Sunshine handled the interview like a real pro. It was not by accident that she was chosen for this important assignment,” he shared.
While in Jamaica, Keisha spent a day in Trench Town as a guest of Dr. Henley Morgan, where she had the opportunity to visit the birthplace of Jamaica’s iconic reggae music. She also engaged with six form students at Ardenne High School at the annual Distinguished Lecture Series.
“Keisha invited us into her heart and on the journey of an island girl who experienced the ultimate and has stepped out of her comfort zone into this new world,” Ardenne’s principal, Nadine Molloy, shared on her Facebook timeline.
“Dave Rodney (Media Marketer) and Florence Holness Darby (Chair of the Ardenne Alumni Foundation), thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this experience,” Principal Molly added.
Keisa’s maiden trip to space was facilitated by a competition with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space program. Tickets for a Virgin Galactic rocket seat reportedly cost upwards of US$450,000 each.
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