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Captain Earle Worley Scholarship 2021 Award Winners
Captain Earle Worley Scholarship
2021 Award winners
VAHS is proud to announce the 2021 winners of the Captain Earle Worley Scholarship. The competition for these awards gats stronger each year and this year we had many wee-qualified applicants. The choices were made based upon several criteria, including interests, academics, and need, using a scoring process designed by The Community Foundation of Virginia.
This year’s winners are: Tess A. Petersen, Mitchell Hossfeld and Bethany Boro.
TESS PETERSEN
ACADEMICS:
Ms Petersen is an honors graduate of the Banner Christian School in Chesterfield County. She ranked #1 in her class, with an unweighted GPA of 4.0 while taking Advanced Placement classes in History, Literature and Composition, Art History, Environmental Science and Language.
She served as student body President in 12th grade, class President in 10th grade, President of the National Honor Society in 11th and 12th grade and participated in the Sorenson Institute High School Leaders Program. She was varsity lettered in Golf four times. Tess also attended the Governor’s School at the Math Science Innovation Center.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
- R.F. Wilkinson YMCA Leaders’ Club, Williamsburg, VA
- Junior Volunteer Sentara Hospital
- Chick-Fil-A
- The Richmond Fisher
- English, Math, Spanish Tutor – 9, 10, 11 (After school volunteer tutor for students at Banner Christian School)
INTERESTS:
Tess earned her Private Pilot Certificate in 2021 with financial support from The Williamsburg Aviation Scholarship Program. She is aspiring to fly as a career but has a broad interest in Aeronautics. She will begin her college career at Longwood University in the fall.
“When you become an aviator, you are initiated into a unique family. No matter where you are from or what you have been through, all pilots have an ability to relate to one another and share a similar mindset and passion. They fly for the adventure it offers, and in these adventurers, I discovered role models and friends who demonstrated a desire to help me be successful at flying and at life. They invested in me, restored my confidence, and helped me fly in more ways than one. There is truly nothing that compares with aviation. From the cockpit, the breath-taking view of the universe below makes me realize how insignificant I am overall. The experience is humbling. The freedom of flying provides endless life lessons, guides the steps to my future, and restores my soul. I would be lost without it.”
Bethany A Buro
ACADEMICS:
Ms Boro is a 2021 graduate of the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond. She achieved an unweighted GPA of 3.89 and scored 1520 on her SAT. She is a Virginia Aerospace and Technology Scholar, a member of the Science National Honor Society, received Honorable Mention in the High School Mathematical Modeling contest and is an AP Scholar with Distinction.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Bethany volunteered at the Childrens’ Museum of Richmond, guided a group of 25 elementary school students in STEM activities at Camp Invention and was a patient volunteer at Chippenham Hospital. Throughout her high school career, she was also employed at Publix Supermarkets.
INTERESTS:
“During my high school career, I have delved into the field of engineering and explored my passion for space exploration further. I have spent my time watching NASA TV, reading books penned by astronauts, researching spacecraft, and taking classes on aerospace engineering. I was selected as a Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholar (VASTS) and participated in an online course sponsored by NASA Langley.
I learned about the history of NASA and rocket technology, engineering ethics in relation to designing spacecraft, and the technology involved in and the process of planning space missions. Due to my achievements and high quality of work demonstrated throughout the course, I was chosen to take part in the VASTS summer academy. The goal of the academy was to design a human mission to Mars. I was assigned to the Human Factors Team and was appointed the role of Environment Control and Life Support System Bethany Buro Printed
On: 16 March 2021 2021 Captain Earle Worley Scholarship 6 Specialist. My job was to design the life support systems as well as come up with a production plan for fuel, oxygen, and water on Mars through in situ resource utilization. I presented to a panel of NASA engineers and scientists, specialists from private industry, and graduate and undergraduate students in related fields.
I plan on studying aerospace engineering with a specialty in propulsion. I look forward to taking advantage of internships and research opportunities, and I hope to one day work for NASA, SpaceX, Boeing, or another commercial aerospace company. I want to make the technology of the future today and help bring humanity further into the stars than ever thought possible.”
Mitchell J. Hossfeld
ACADEMICS:
MR. Hossfeld graduated from Greenbriar Christian Academy, Class of 2021, with an unweighted GPA of 3.98. He is a member of the National Beta Society and has taken High School AP and Honors Courses. He earned five Engineering Technology credits and was enrolled in Liberty University’s Dual Enrollment program.
ACTIVITIES:
- Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars 2019–2020. Selected from a state-wide pool of candidates for a seven-month project completing nine technical reports, solving complex math problems, and developing a NASA crewed Mission to Mars.
- Virginia Space Coast Scholars Program 2018–2019. Participated in a NASA-driven program designed to identify a select group of students throughout Virginia for a five-month project including six research modules, technical reports, and a final project focused on an airborne mission led by NASA that would result in improving the quality of the Earth’s ozone layer. Chosen for a focus group for a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA Wallops Flight Facility
- Chief Editor, Yearbook 2017–2021. Editor of Upper and Lower School Yearbook Committee for three years. Four years total participation
- Music Appreciation, Piano 2017–2020. Focused on continued learning of reading music and playing piano
- Food and Culture Club 2019–2021. Weekly discussions of different cultures.
- Varsity Baseball 2018–2021 • Pitcher and Outfielder, participating year-round • 2019 TCIS Champion and State Semi-Finalists
- Junior Varsity Baseball 2017–2019 • Team Captain 2019, Pitcher, Outfielder • Cy Young Award Winner 2019
- Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball 2017–2021
INTERESTS:
“I do believe I will fulfill my goal of becoming an Aerospace Engineer and working for NASA someday. It will be my honor when that time comes to give back to those that supported me and opened so many windows of opportunity.”