“Inspiringandjoyous.“--People“Heartwarming...infectious...Morillo’sTheBoyWhoReachedfortheStarsiseverybittheinspirationhemeansittobe.“--KirkusReviewsTheengineerknownasthe“spacemechanic“speakstobothourfutureandpastinthisbreathlessmemoirofhisjourneyfromEcuadortoNASAandbeyond.ElioMorillo’slifeisabruptlyspunoutoforbitwheneconomiccollapseandpersonalcircumstancescompelhismothertofleeEcuadorfortheUnitedStatesinsearchofabetterfutureforherson.HisitinerantchildhoodsetsintomotionamigrationthatwillultimatelycarryEliotothefarthestexpanseofhumanendeavor:space.Overcomingahistoryofsystemicadversityandinequalityinpubliceducation,Elioforgedaheadonajourneyasindebtedtohisgalacticdreamsastoalovingmotherwhosesacrificessafeguardedthegroundbeneathhisfeet.Today,Elioishelpingdrivehumanexpansionintothesolarsystemandpromotethefutureofhumaninnovation--fromAIandroboticstospaceinfrastructureandequitableaccess.TheBoyWhoReachedtheStarsisbothacosmicandintimatememoirspunfromaconstellationofmemories,reflections,andintrepidcuriosity,asthoroughlyluminousasthestarsabove.
