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This summer, Micah Mowery will have an out-of-this-world experience. The 12-year-old math and science enthusiast from Colorado Springs, Colo.–and grandson of Majors Don and Jan Mowery, leaders of the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division–won a full scholarship to the week-long U.S. Space Academy held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville Ala.
Joined by a crew of middle-school students from across the country, Micah will have a hands-on look at all that goes into a space shuttle mission–from the shuttle rockets to the space suits. He will have a chance to go on two “missions” using cockpit, mission control, and space station simulators and conduct experiments in the spacelab and the space station. While at the Academy, he will experience everything from weightlessness to the force of four g’s.
Micah’s journey to the Space Academy began with a nomination from his Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program advisor, Delores Richardson, and one other teacher.
Following his nomination, Micah had to submit two one-page essays. For the first essay, Micah shared what he hoped to learn at the Academy and how he could pass on this knowledge to others. For the second, an elective essay, he had to choose a career and explain how that career would be different in space.
“Knowing what a privilege it would be…to attend the Space Academy, I would want to share my new knowledge with all the students who were not as fortunate as me,” Micah wrote. “Learning all I would learn about space, astronauts and life at NASA would only make me want to learn more. Maybe someday I could even go into space myself. An opportunity like the U.S. Space Academy would be a dream come true!”
Micah just completed the 7th grade at East Middle School in Colorado Springs where he is an active member of the MESA program, which sponsored the scholarship. He also attends the Colorado Springs corps.
Micah was one of only three finalists awarded a scholarship. He was chosen from a field of more than 1200 eligible candidates.
“We are extremely proud of Micah for this honor and for all his accomplishments,” said Major Jan Mowery. “We know whatever [he] sets his mind to he can achieve.”
