Now Announcing: Winners of the 2020 Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship!
We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship!
Alex higgins at space camp
Since 2001, more than 50 New Hampshire children and teens have traveled to the U.S. Space Camp & Rocket Center in Hunstville, Alabama, for a week of simulated astronaut or pilot training, thanks to the scholarship. This represents a combined effort among Alex Higgins’ family, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to honor Alex’s memory. Space Camp provides the opportunity for children and teens to engage in a science and engineering adventure that Alex Higgins truly enjoyed.
These extraordinary young people were chosen from a host of applicants by a panel composed of Discovery Center staff, Alex Higgins’ family members, and community volunteers, The application process included student essays, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
Primary Crew
Ryan Casey
Grade 6, St. John Regional School
Concord, NH
“I have enjoyed learning about space for as long as I can remember. My favorite books when I was very young were all about space. I have been a member of the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center for as long as I can remember and have had my birthday parties there and have gone to their summer camps. I have also always loved math, science, and space and want my future career to involve inventions that help develop new technology for space travel. The Alex Higgins Memorial Scholarship to attend Space Camp is an exciting opportunity to combine many of the things that I am interested in. I look forward to going to Space Camp because I want to learn about what is new and cutting edge about space and robotics.”
Sarah Lewis
Grade 10, Concord High School
Concord, NH
“I want to attend Space Camp because I want to be an astronautical engineer and go into space in a ship I was able to help design and build. I think going to Space Camp would help me get an idea of what it would be like to work in this field.”
Sarah has many interests, but all areas of science are what interest her the most academically. Trips over the years to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, the Boston Museum of Science, and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center piqued an interest in aerospace that made her want to explore more what the space program is all about. Sarah is very excited and thankful to have earned an Alex Higgins Space Camp Scholarship and she is looking forward to learning first-hand about everything aerospace when she attends the camp.
Ayanna Valeras
Grade 5, Christa McAuliffe
Elementary School
Concord, NH
“My name is Ayanna Valeras. I'm a fifth grader at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School. I love to read, play the piano and practice ballet. I want to go to Space Camp to start a step in being an astronaut and astrobiologist. I love space but I also want to pave a way and make a path for other girls who want to work at NASA or go to space. I want to experience what it would be like: the training, the people. I want to go beyond school and learn more about space and science. I want to be around people who are as zealous about STEM as I am. I want to go to Space Camp to start my journey of science and space but also to show other people and myself I can do whatever I put my mind to.”
Backup Crew
Brooke Johnson
Grade 9, Pinkerton Academy
Derry, NH
“Ever since I was little I’ve been very interested in everything related to space exploration. My favorite movie for years has been The Martian. I even chose to do a project in 4th grade on Christa McAuliffe. I enjoy learning about how it might be possible to colonize other planets. I admire those who have been brave enough to journey into space. I believe I have qualities that would make me a good astronaut such as, I like science and math and I love to play sports and that makes me a great team player.”
Megan Plaza
Grade 5, Matthew Thornton School
Londonderry NH
“Hi, I am Megan Plaza. I'm in fifth grade at Matthew Thornton Elementary School in Londonderry, NH. I have loved space and its mysteries for a while now. There is so much to learn about space exploration. Unfortunately, it can be challenging for because there are not many places that are willing to take young children. This is my second year applying for the Alex Higgins Memorial scholarship for space camp. Last year, I received an honorable mention. This year, I was selected for backup crew. Hopefully, in the future I can go!”
Brady Visaggio
Grade 7, Ross A. Lurgio Middle School
Bedford, NH
“I dream of being a marine biologist, specializing in deep-sea exploration. Training in space camp [would] prepare me for deep-sea diving and how to work inside a capsule. As a marine biologist, I could work with astronomers and astrobiologists to discover life off of the Earth.”
Honorable Mention
Samuel (Sam) Gorman
Grade 6, Dover Middle School
Dover, NH
(Photo unavailable)
“I am Sam Gorman and I want to go to Space Camp for many reasons. I want to participate in all the cool activities that camp offers like the spinning chair. If you’re not having fun at space camp, then why do you want to go? The other reason I want to go to Space Camp is because I want to see what being an astronaut is like. I’m thinking of being an astronaut when I grow up, so I want to get an idea on what training I’ll be doing if I’m accepted to be an astronaut. I heard of some of the things they get to train on like pools and other cool stuff like models of the rockets. I don’t think you’ll get lost in the Soyuz spacecraft!”
Alexandra (Ally) MacDonald
Grade 9, Plymouth Regional
High School
Plymouth, NH
“For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated with the cosmos. Aerospace is important to me because we can explore outer space to make discoveries about our universe. I participate in my school's astronomy club and through Girl Scouts I've gone to see the 2017 Solar Eclipse at the greatest point of totality in Carbondale, IL. I also went to Space Academy in 2018, this year I'm excited to learn more about aerospace at Advanced Space Academy.”
Julia Sweeney
Grade 9, Holy Family Academy
Manchester, NH
“My name is Julia Sweeney, and I’ve known I wanted to be involved in space travel for a long time. When I was little I even told my parents I wanted to be the princess astronaut on the space shuttle missions! I don’t want to be an astronaut anymore, but when I graduate from college (hopefully MIT), I hope to become an astronomer or an astrophysicist.”
Congratulations to all!
This year’s scholarship winners will be recognized at our AerospaceFest event, which is currently scheduled for September 12, 2020. In light of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the terms of this year’s scholarship have been extended, so that the Primary Crew winners may attend Space Camp in 2021 or as safety concerns dictate.
