New Jersey native and astronaut Mark Kelly met with schoolchildren Tuesday to talk about his experiences in outer space.

Kelly stopped at Pleasantdale Elementary School in West Orange, the school he attended as a child, and shared his stories and advice with the students.

"It's certainly important to work hard," he told them. "You don't have to get straight A's. I didn't. I was not the best student here. It's important to be interested in things and to work hard and do your best. Then you can do anything."

Mark Kelly was the commander of the Shuttle Endeavor mission in 2011, his final flight in space. His twin brother Scott Kelly is currently aboard the International Space Station. He just completed day 200 of his full year in space.