A Million Miles Away - Now Streaming on Amazon Prime

Many of the milestones in the remarkable life of University of the Pacific graduate and NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez ’84 have been driven by his incredible sense of patience.

He continually peppered NASA with applications for the astronaut program—12 times in all—before finally being accepted.

Patience.

Strapped into Space Shuttle Discovery for the much-awaited ride of his life in 2009, the launch was scrubbed because of weather concerns. He had to wait for days before finally rocketing into space.

Patience.

And now, as a biopic about his life is set to debut internationally after years of delays due to a change in networks and a pandemic, this much is obvious: patience paid off.

“A Million Miles Away,” the story of Hernandez’s journey from the farm fields of San Joaquin County as a migrant worker to Pacific and to fame as an astronaut debuted September 15 on Amazon Prime. Actor Michael Pena plays the role of Hernandez.

Read the full feature on the advanced screening hosted by Pacific >

Leading Voices: An Interview with Jose Hernandez

In this interview hosted by University President Christopher Callahan, Jose Hernandez joins to talk about the successes, failures and pivot points in his professional life, as well as a look back on what it really means for Pacificans to lead with purpose.