Astronaut Robert Thirsk grew up in Calgary, went to high school here and graduated from the University of Calgary.
Last year he became the first astronaut to get a doctorate degree while in space.
Monday he was back at the University of Calgary to collect the degree in person.
Last July Robert Thirsk had a good excuse for not being there in person to pick up his honorary doctorate, he was in outer space.
Thirsk said "Calgary for me is like coming home, it's a group of people who have a can-do attitude unique in Canada where the spirit of exploration is still strong and alive".
Thirsk is the first Canadian to fly into space in a Russian Soyuz Rocket. He spent 188 days on the International Space Station orbiting the planet over 29 hundred times.
On Monday his message was much more down to earth, Thirsk said "not all dreams come true not all my dreams come true but those few that do come true it's very fulfilling , I encourage young Canadians to build their dreams on a solid educational foundation dreams don't come true by wishing on a star".
