By Francisco Ramirez

When Robert Izquierdo Jr. reflects on the many guests who have appeared on the RobLive podcast, one interview rises above the rest.

The educator, community leader, nonprofit founder and podcast host recently sat down with Kings Network News to discuss his journey, his work in the community and the conversation that made a lasting impression on him: his interview with former NASA astronaut Jose M. Hernandez.

Hernandez’s story is one of determination and perseverance. Born into a migrant farmworker family, Hernandez spent part of his childhood working in the fields alongside his parents. English was not his first language, yet he dreamed of becoming an astronaut after watching the Apollo missions as a young boy.

According to Izquierdo, Hernandez pursued that dream for decades.

He had a dream at ten years old to become an astronaut and spent thirty years of his life working diligently to make that dream come true,” Izquierdo said during the interview.

Hernandez applied to NASA multiple times before finally being accepted. His perseverance eventually led him aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, making him one of the few people in history to travel into space. His life story later became the inspiration for the Amazon Prime film “A Million Miles Away,” starring actor Michael Peña.

For Izquierdo, the opportunity to interview Hernandez was especially meaningful because he had already watched the movie and was able to sit down with the real person behind the story.

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“How often do you get to watch somebody’s life story on the big screen and then follow up and ask them one-on-one questions?” Izquierdo said.

Rather than focusing solely on space travel, Izquierdo said he wanted to understand the journey that got Hernandez there.

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The interview explored the blueprint Hernandez followed throughout his life, including goal setting, persistence and personal discipline. Izquierdo later brought those lessons into his own classroom at Sierra Pacific High School, using Hernandez’s story to inspire students to pursue their own goals.

While Hernandez’s story stood out, Izquierdo’s own journey is equally rooted in service and perseverance.

A longtime educator with more than two decades of experience, Izquierdo is the co-founder of Reestablishing Stratford, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the small Kings County community of Stratford. The organization has spent years organizing youth programs, food distributions, community events and infrastructure advocacy projects.

One of the nonprofit’s most significant accomplishments has been helping push forward a long-discussed traffic improvement project along Highway 41. According to Izquierdo, a roundabout project is expected to break ground around 2030 after years of community advocacy.

Before his work in Stratford, Izquierdo led another ambitious effort known as Library for London, a project inspired by a visit to a state-of-the-art library in Southern California. Wanting children in his hometown of London, California, to have similar opportunities, he launched a grassroots campaign that ultimately resulted in the creation of a community library that remains open today.

Today, Izquierdo balances his work as an educator, nonprofit leader and podcast host.

His podcast, RobLive, features interviews with community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and individuals with unique life stories. The program is produced in partnership with video production educator James Chance, whom Izquierdo credits for the show’s visual production, editing and studio design.

Despite producing more than one hundred episodes, Izquierdo acknowledged that growing an audience remains a challenge. Still, he remains committed to sharing meaningful conversations and highlighting stories that can inspire others.

For him, the interview with Hernandez serves as a reminder of what can happen when someone refuses to give up on a dream.

From working in the fields to orbiting Earth aboard a space shuttle, Hernandez’s story embodies the message Izquierdo hopes listeners take away from every episode: extraordinary achievements often begin with ordinary people who choose not to quit.

Have you watched “A Million Miles Away” or heard Jose Hernandez’s story? Share your thoughts in the comments below.