image description — Astronaut Suni Williams is presented a citation by Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday at the State House.

Astronaut Suni Williams Meets With Boston Students at State House

01:00PM / Sunday, May 18, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey hosted a meet-and-greet Thursday at the State House with astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams and local students.

Williams, a retired Navy officer, is from Needham. She is the first woman to fly on a flight test of an orbital spacecraft during the 2024 Boeing Crew Flight Test and recently returned from nine months on board the International Space Station after technical problems stretched out the planned eight-day mission.

She was joined by students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, British International School of Boston Middle School, Boys and Girls Club of Boston students and members of the Science Club for Girls. The gathering was in part to promote careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

"It was great to welcome Suni Williams to the State House and back home to Massachusetts," said Healey. "Her resilience and dedication to service serves as an incredible model for young people across the state, reminding them that their potential is as limitless as outer space. We hope that some of the students who joined us today will be inspired to pursue careers in STEM and truly reach for the stars."

Williams graduated from Needham High School and the U.S. Naval Academy, earning her master of science degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology. An experienced naval pilot, she began her NASA astronaut training in 1998. She has been to the ISS three times, totaled more than 62 hours in spacewalk time and more than 600 days in space, and ran the Boston Marathon in 2007 while on the ISS. Her hometown named its elementary school after her.

"As chair of our STEM Advisory Council, I’m so glad that students across Massachusetts have such an amazing role model in Suni Williams," said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. "We thank her for visiting the State House today and sharing her inspirational story with us all."

During the visit, Healey awarded Williams with a Governor's Citation in recognition of her dedicated service to her country and space exploration.

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Companion Corner: Ellie at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:58PM / Wednesday, September 23, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There is a spicy orange tabby looking for her new home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Ellie is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair who has been at the shelter for about a month. Kennel assistant Claire Morin introduced us to her.

"The family's living situation was changing, and so they surrendered her on that day," she said.

Like a typical orange, Ellie can have a "spicy" side to her and may hiss or growl. But she is also in a shelter setting which can cause more stress.

"Ellie is a very sassy girl. She's been a little bit challenging to handle here because she hates all cats, so ideally she would want to be in a single-cat home," Morin said. "When we get her out, she enjoys being out, but she starts to smell the other cats that are here, and she becomes very antagonistic. The cats are antagonistic toward her as well, but overall she's a very sweet girl."

While Ellie is not a fan of other cats, and since she is in a room with other cats, it can be hard to show off how great she can be without the stress.

Ellie is big on food and likes her wet treats. She also likes being brushed with a toothbrush.

"Ellie loves wet food, which she is devouring right now because it's lunchtime. She loves catnip. She loves being brushed with this giant toothbrush-like brush, and she loves treats," she said.

She can be in a home with older children who can understand her boundaries.

"Ellie would do beautifully if she was the only cat in the house. It would take her a few minutes to warm up with whoever adopts her."

She would also do best as the only one getting attention on her terms and to be respectful of her boundaries. But once out of the shelter setting she may find herself more comfortable and more loving with one-on-one attention.

"We think she would do fantastic in a home where she was the only one getting the attention. She'd be much more comfortable on her own terms."

If you think Ellie could be your companion, be sure to fill out the form on the shelter's website and email or drop it off to No Paws Left Behind on Hodges Cross Road.

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