NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

In the final minutes before the televised launch of the space shuttle Discovery, Tana Schermerhorn gave each of her Horizon Heights third-grade students a present they will never forget -- a specially minted coin that celebrated the first shuttle flight in more than two years.

"My husband worked at the original launch that was scrubbed (July 13)," said Schermerhorn. "But while he was there, he picked up these commemorative coins for each of my students."

Image to left: The coins show the STS-114 mission patch on one side. Credit: Carlos Briano

Schermerhorn's husband, Randall Walker, has supported NASA for more than 20 years as a mechanic working for Computer Sciences Corp. in El Paso, Texas. Walker helps maintain the Shuttle Training Aircraft, a plane used to train astronauts how to land the shuttle.

While working at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Walker visited a gift shop located at the 52-story facility where workers attach the space shuttle to its two Solid Rocket Boosters.

"It was just kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing," said Walker. "I was there and decided it would be nice to bring something special back for my wife's students. After asking the cashier for advice, I purchased 20 of the coins that she had suggested."

The coins, designed for Discovery's Return to Flight, feature the STS-114 mission flight patch on one side and the names of the seven Discovery astronauts on the other.

One student, however, worried about the safety of her special memento.

"It was very exciting, but I was nervous," said third-grader Velia. "I'm going to put the coin in a secret place where my brother and sister won't get it."

Image to right: Each student in Mrs. Schermerhorn’s class received one of the special coins. Credit: Carlos Briano

After distributing the coins amongst the class, Schermerhorn gave her students a special homework assignment that would be completed two weeks later.

"I told the kids to wish for a safe launch," said Schermerhorn. "I told them to keep it (the coin) in a safe place at home, but occasionally take it out to wish for a safe landing."

On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 9, Discovery returned each of its seven crew members home safely after performing a perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. For one group of Horizon City, Texas, third-graders, it was a wish come true.

Roger Roberts/JSC