BAKER — Jessica Faith Hall’s dream has come true. With area donors' support, the Baker School senior is heading to science camp in Boston.
Last week, Faith sought financial assistance to attend the national Congress of Future Scientists and Technologists June 27-29 with her mom, Christina, who will chaperone the teen.
While a $1,200 grant from the Air Force Armament Museum covered Faith’s camp registration and tuition, she and her mom faced an additional $2,000 in airfare and accommodations.
With time running out, area businesses and civic leaders helped Faith realize her dream.
Outgoing Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Alicia Booker donated an information table at the organization’s June 4 breakfast meeting. There, Faith raised $200.
As word spread, including an article in the News Bulletin's June 10-12 Midweek Edition, others joined the effort. Oliver’s Nursery in Holt donated $750; Okaloosa County entrepreneur Paul Hsu donated $1,000.
Faith's science teacher, Stacy Burlison, couldn’t wait to tell her about Hsu’s donation.
“When I called her, she was almost in tears,” Burlison said. “She couldn’t believe it had become a reality. When she approached me in the winter, she wanted to go so bad but she had it in her mind that there was no way it could happen.”
“I was really happy,” Faith said. “I will send them (donors) thank-you letters.”
Any donations over the goal will go toward Faith’s expenses in Boston, including purchasing educational materials at the science camp, Burlison said.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
The Congress of Future Scientists and Technologists — June 27-29 in Boston — features, among others, these guest speakers:
•Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway
•J. Craig Venter, 2009 National Medal of Science winner
•David Wineland, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics
•Cherry A. Murray, former dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
•Mike Rhodin, IBM Watson's senior vice president
•John C. Mather, 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics winner
•Helen Greiner, co-founder of iRobot
•Vanessa Green, chief executive of OnChip Power
•Dennis Crowley, CEO and co-founder of Foursquare
•Bill Westenhofer, Academy Award winner for Best Visual Effects ("The Golden Compass" and "Life of Pi")
•Erik Finman, a 16-year-old entrepreneur who invested $1,000 in bitcoins and sold them for $100,000
Source: http://www.scitechleaders.com
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Donations help Baker senior attend science camp