Wrangell: Wilson wins space camp scholarship
Wrangell fourth-grader Peter Wilson recently learned he will attend space camp this summer because of a winning essay he wrote about space exploration. The essay earned him a scholarship to U.S. Space Camp in either Huntsville, Ala., or Titusville, Fla. The contest is sponsored by the camp and IGA stores.
According to Bob Robbins of Bob's IGA, the company promoted the contest nationwide and gave local stores the opportunity to sponsor a scholarship. Each sponsoring store had a scholarship winner who will spend five days this summer in intensive training on space technology, space-shuttle operations and space-station design. Trainees will use astronaut simulators to experience how it might feel to walk on the moon and perform tasks on a space walk.
Peter's essay explored the benefits of space exploration to Wrangell.
"I am glad there is space exploration, because if we didn't have space exploration, we couldn't find out what the weather is unless we did the weather the old-fashioned way, which did not always have the best accuracy," Wilson wrote. "Our community depends upon reliable weather forecasts for fishing, hunting, tourism and logging."
Other essays submitted by Wrangell students age 9-12 will be submitted to the national contest in the hope that another student will have a firsthand chance to learn about space exploration.