Monday night was a big night for the seniors in Ocean Lakes High School’s Math and Sciences Academy: it was the Academy Recognition Ceremony, which highlighted and celebrated the hard work of the graduating students throughout their four years.
Who better to be the keynote speaker than one who just completed the process just a few years ago.
Heidi Beemer, one of the finalists who have passed the first cut to be one of the first colonists on the planet Mars, is a 2007 graduate of the Math and Sciences Academy. Throughout the year, Beemer has Skyped in with the academy students to talk about her work and her research, but she came back to the school in person to deliver a keynote speech.
Click here to read of one of Beemer’s Skype sessions with Plaza Middle School.
For her part, Beemer was happy to do it.
“I loved every minute of the Math and Sciences Academy,” she said. “It really was an awesome experience.”
Beemer said as an academy student, you are not only pushed harder by staff and teachers, you also get to be selective in what you learn.
“The academy gave me confidence…it gave me the ability to learn,” she said.
Beemer used her keynote speech to pass along her personal mantra: Dream big. And, she says, the night truly belonged the young men and women in the audience.
“This is the culmination of four years of hard work,” she said. “It just makes sense to come back and congratulate them on their hard work.”
Heidi made the cut from 200,000 to about 600.
Unfortunately she didn’t make the final cut to the Mars One 100. 🙁
However after putting on her captain bars and being more than half way through her masters, Heidi is applying to NASA. Combine that with a chance at Spacex who I think is likely to be 1st to Mars, Heidi continues to work towards her dream.
Her mother and I are so proud… Go Heidi.