Eleven LWSD high school juniors were selected to complete Phase I of the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) Program. Students from four LWSD high schools were selected from among the many talented juniors across Washington state. Here is a list of the LWSD students accepted into Phase I of the WAS Program:

• Pranav Krovvidi, Eastlake High School
• Nuha Qadir, Eastlake High School
• Rithikaa Prakash, International Community School
• Karthik Shaji, International Community School
• Sonia Sheth, International Community School
• Lucas Falcone, Redmond High School
• Amelie Sharples, Redmond High School
• Ryan Fidelis, Tesla STEM
• Ananya Ganapathi, Tesla STEM
• Ajay Rajasekaran, Tesla STEM
• Tejas Sudhakar, Tesla STEM

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

These motivated students will compete with 200 others for a spot in one of the WAS Summer Residency sessions. To qualify, they must complete 10 NASA and University of Washington-designed lessons. 

Phase Two 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. Learn more about WAS on the Museum of Flight website.