LWSD high school juniors selected for Washington Aerospace Scholars Program

June 2, 2017 1:30 am
Courtesy photos
Courtesy photos

Seven Lake Washington School District (LWSD) high school juniors, including four students at Kirkland schools, were selected to complete Phase II of the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) Program, the summer residency.

WAS is designed to connect high school juniors with educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The program features independent learning and hands-on interaction. Students benefit from professional guidance and site-based tours.

Students from six LWSD high schools were selected from among the talented juniors across Washington State. These students’ academic performance on the WAS Phase I curriculum qualified them for Phase II:

  • Alex Bartoletti, Lake Washington High School;
  • Srikanth Chavali, Tesla STEM High School;
  • Spencer Goldstein, Lake Washington High School;
  • Grace Kellogg, Redmond High School;
  • Max McGowan, Juanita High School;
  • Adrienne Pickerill, Eastlake High School; and
  • Sebastian Soetomo, International Community School.

These students were among the 200 who began competing in December 2016 for a spot in one of the WAS summer residency sessions. To qualify, they completed 10 NASA- and University of Washington-designed lessons. Students could register to earn five UW credits on successful completion of the curriculum.

Phase II is a six-day experience held at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. There are three sessions in June and July. In each session, four student teams cooperate to plan a human mission to Mars. They get support from professional engineers/scientists, university students and certificated educators. Participants also receive briefings from aerospace professionals. They tour engineering facilities and compete in hands-on engineering challenges.