Record-breaking former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has a unique insight into staying engaged and motivated while in isolation.

In 2016 Kelly became the first American to spend 12 consecutive months in space when he completed an epic 340-day stint on the International Space Station.

With remote learning replacing physical classrooms for millions of children during the coronavirus lockdown, Kelly says that kids’ long-term goals and aspirations are more important than ever.

ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY: HOW I WENT FROM BAD STUDENT TO SPACE STAR

“I think it’s important to let them know that their education is still important despite everything that is going on out there,” he said, acknowledging that the lockdown has brought plenty of challenges for children and their parents. “Distance learning, or homeschooling, it’s good for some kids, but not all.”

Kelly spoke to Fox News prior to taking part in Research Quest Live, which let students participate in live sessions with professional educators from the Natural History Museum of Utah while schools are closed. The former astronaut will take part in an hourlong Q&A as part of Research Quest Live on Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

Perseverance, he told Fox News, will eventually pay off for students struggling with distance learning. “I recognize that it’s not easy – often things that are meaningful are hard and challenging,” he added. “Find inspiration where you can find it.”

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During an interview with Fox News in 2018, he explained how he went from being a bad student to a Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and, eventually, an astronaut. He said that he owes his storied space career to Tom Wolfe’s famous book “The Right Stuff,” about the early space program, which he read when he was an 18-year-old student at State University of New York Maritime College in the Bronx.

“Finding ways to reach a large audience and kids of different attention spans is much more important now that they are learning from home,” Kelly said.

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