Twelve-year-old Jesse really reaches for the stars. When wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® told the young space enthusiast he qualified for a wish, he chose to watch a space shuttle launch in Florida.

Once in the Sunshine State, Jesse and his family went to the Kennedy Space Center and met veteran astronaut Don Peterson, whose accomplishments include a space walk from the space shuttle Challenger. At the center, Jesse put on a real Apollo space suit complete with the "bubble" helmet. Afterward, he sat in the pilot's seat of the space shuttle Endeavour.

The next day, Jesse returned to the space center for the big event – the launch of the Endeavour. He heard the countdown and watched as the spacecraft blasted out of sight. Jesse looked so high to watch the shuttle's ascent that his hat fell off. Afterward, he joined his family in eating the astronauts' traditional meal of baked beans and cornbread.

But the shuttle launch wasn't the end of Jesse's exciting adventure. He toured Patrick Air Force Base, where he was made an honorary pararescue jumper complete with a real beret and flight suit. With his new title, Jesse was ready for the parachute simulator.

"My stomach went up into my throat and I felt like I was really in the air," he said.

Whether Jesse decides to jump from the blue skies or explore the mysterious world of space, you can bet he'll continue reaching for the stars.