Winners of the Inaugural Space Station Explorer STEM Awards
Space Station Ambassadors Laurie Scheibner (left) and Nicole Sealey (right) shared their enthusiasm and expertise at the 2018 ISS Research and Development Conference.
Media Credit: Laurie Scheibner
At the 2018 ISS Research & Development Conference, Space Station Explorers premiered two annual awards for outstanding educators and students.
Media Credit: NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
The CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes). Space Station Explorer Exceptional Educator Award recognizes an educator who has done outstanding work using ISS-related programs to engage students in STEM subjects and careers.
The CASIS Space Station Explorers Exceptional Student Award recognizes a student who participated in a Space Station Explorers program and then took it a step further, using the momentum from that program to propel them toward new achievements.
The Space Station Explorer Exceptional Educator of 2018
Nicole Sealey won the CASIS Space Station Explorer Exceptional Educator Award.
Media Credit: Nicole Sealey
Nicole Sealey is an educator at Bok Academy in Lake Wales, Florida. She has been teaching for 12 years and she has won several regional awards for excellence in education. As a Space Station Ambassador, she has helped other teachers bring ISSInternational Space Station activities into their classrooms. She is very involved in her community, and she creates opportunities for her students to get involved too.
A few months ago, Ms. Sealey helped Florida maintain its continuous participation in the Zero Robotics competition when it looked like Florida students might have to miss a year of the program. She trained at MIT to act as Florida’s interim State Coordinator for Zero Robotics. She also led her school’s team for the fourth year in a row.
Ms. Sealey is a passionate, creative, and community-minded educator who is really making a difference through educational programs that use the ISS National Lab. Congratulations on receiving the CASIS Space Station Explorer Exceptional Educator Award!
The Space Station Explorer Exceptional Student of 2018
Ken Shields (left), CASIS Director of Operations and STEM Education, and Emily Calandrelli (center), producer and host of FOX’s Xploration Outer Space, presented the award to Julissa Herrera (right).
Julissa Herrera is a recent high school graduate who is currently attending Evergreen Community College in San Jose. At one time, she was at risk of dropping out of high school. While in an intervention program, she participated in Quest for Space, a Space Station Explorers partner program. In her role as a mechanical engineer, she discovered new interests and learned new skills. Just as important, she became part of a team and realized that she had a lot to contribute.
Now she is shaping her own path forward, attending college and continuing to build skills and confidence. Julissa’s motivation is inspiring, and she inspires other students to seek out new challenges through programs that use the ISS National Lab. Congratulations on receiving the CASIS Space Station Explorer Exceptional Student Award!