Mother, wife, elementary school teacher, social media influencer, and Alpharetta resident, Debbie Calabro, was granted exclusive media accreditation rights to cover NASA’s Crew-8 Mission Launch at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in February. Debbie’s coverage appeared on her rapidly growing online account, “Debbie Discovers Atlanta and Beyond,” which boasts nearly 20,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.
Calabro’s impact on the Atlanta community didn’t begin with a career in social media. Instead, she’s spent the past 29 years working as a local kindergarten teacher. Her entry into the world of social media was an organic one, almost backing into the role of social media influencer by accident.
“I still can’t believe this amazing influencer journey I’m experiencing,” says Calabro. “When my son was little, I kept a busy calendar filled with sights and scenes that make the city of Atlanta such a special place to live. Friends would see what I posted on my personal social media pages. Many began asking questions, seeking advice, and requesting tips for their own adventure-seeking families. So many people started messaging me that I decided to create a private Facebook group, but I quickly made it public when I saw how rapidly it was scaling.”
“I can’t express in words just how surreal this opportunity was to me. As a kid, I would lay awake at night, dreaming of attending a space camp. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d grow up and have an insider view of a historic event like one, much less be able to interview some of our country’s finest astronauts in person!”
Calabro was hand-picked for this role by NASA officials and received media accreditation after a competitive application process. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Endeavor spacecraft will carry astronauts to the International Space Station. Following a short handover period, astronauts from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission are scheduled to return to Earth aboard their SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft.
Follow Debbie on Facebook @DebbieDiscoversAtlantaandBeyond and Instagram @DebbieDiscoversAtlanta
“I can’t express in words just how surreal this opportunity was to me. As a kid, I would lay awake at night, dreaming of attending a space camp..."