The AIAA Foundation was thrilled to see so many incredible high school seniors apply for this year’s Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. Each of these impressive students will receive a $10,000 scholarship to support their education. They will also receive a trip to Washington, DC, to attend the AIAA Awards Gala on 30 April, and an AIAA professional member mentor to help guide each
of them on their career paths.
Farrah Berry
Currently attending: Trinity Episcopal School, Midlothian, VA
I am a current high school senior interested in mechanical and aerospace engineering. I am a goal-oriented student-athlete and musician who performs all tasks with efficacy and grace, including the talent to utilize my abilities for a cause bigger than myself. A few of my skills include speaking Spanish and Chinese, playing the saxophone, solving Rubik’s Cubes, and graphic design. I am also the captain of my school’s FIRST Robotics Competition team: 539 Titan Robotics.
I became enthralled with aerospace after my airplane mechanic technician internship at Aero Industries. This experience inspired me to complete the Virginia’s Space Grant Consortium Private Pilot Ground School and attend the Aim High Flight Academy this summer. I want to understand the mechanics of how to get to the stars and soar through the sky so that I can have a career in thermodynamic engineering or the aerospace defense industry.
Kazi Afra Saiara
Currently attending: Chantilly High School, Fairfax, VA
I was born and raised in Bangladesh and moved to the U.S. when I was 13 years old. When I was young, I dreamed of being a pilot, soaring above the clouds, but I had no idea that aerospace engineering existed. As I explored aviation, aerospace engineering stood out to me. The complexity of the field pulled me in. Through the four years of STEM courses in high school, I discovered my interest in how engines operate. One of my favorite projects from my STEM class is designing CAD models of a four-cylinder car engine on Inventor.
I participated in the MIT Beaver Works Fall Program with an all-girls team, where I learned the fundamentals of designing, modeling, and principles of flying an aircraft while also building strong connections. This experience deepened my interest in women’s contributions to aviation, which led me to volunteer at the National Air and Space Museum. There, I engage with visitors, sharing my enthusiasm for aviation and highlighting female pioneers in the field. My passion for aviation and strong feminism drive me to inspire others, especially young girls, to see the possibilities in aviation. Aerospace engineering is not just about building planes—it plays a crucial role in defense, disaster response, and global connectivity. I aspire to study Aerospace Engineering at George Washington University, where I want to deepen my understanding of plane engines and their mechanics, both in aviation and modern vehicles. The history and innovation in aerospace, especially the potential of supersonic planes to revolutionize air travel, inspires me, and I am eager to contribute to the future of aerospace innovation.
Logan Speight
Currently attending: James B. Dudley High School, Greensboro, NC
Outside of the classroom I am involved in my high school’s NSBE Jr. Program, where I help increase STEM exposure through events and community service for our students and at surrounding schools. This past summer I worked as a research intern at the UNCG Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.
My research was on a project where I aided a graduate student in constructing 3D printed nanodevices and investigated their antibacterial properties for use in medical applications. I was certified to work in a cleanroom setting, trained on stereolithography processes, and designed my own nanodevice prototypes using CAD software. This experience culminated with a presentation to all participating lab mentors and the other members of the program.
Since I was a young girl, I have always been fascinated with space. My entire life, when I needed an escape or a reminder of hope, I always looked to the stars. I used to climb outside my childhood window and sit on the roof to see the constellations. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or am going through a tough time, I go out late at night and look into the sky. The vastness of the universe, the mysteries it holds, and the sneaking sense that I belong up there — that is what inspires me to pursue the field of aerospace engineering. Besides my personal attachment to the cosmos, I strongly believe many of the answers to humanity’s biggest questions can be found through space exploration and its related technologies. Our struggles with resource scarcity may very well be solved with innovations devised outside of our small blue ball. My goal is to work in the space exploration sector, designing and building spacecraft. My ultimate dream is to own a space exploration company, carrying out government contracts and servicing private interests, and reaching out to the cosmos to advance humanity’s future.
Sowmya Venkatesh
Currently attending: Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA
My passion for aerospace began with stargazing. Tracing constellations and contemplating the vastness of the cosmos fascinated me, but what truly captivated me was the idea of baryogenesis, the tiny asymmetry between matter and antimatter that allowed our universe to exist. In order to further pursue my fascination, I joined the TriValley Stargazers, my local astronomy club.
Starting from this initial curiosity, I actively pursued aerospace throughout high school, developing both technical skills and hands-on experience. In the MIT Beaver Works Fall Program, I explored aerodynamics and built model aircraft. While at George Mason University’s summer research internship, I analyzed models of the sun’s coronal magnetic loops by measuring velocities using satellite data.
Beyond my own learning, I sought to share the excitement of aerospace with my peers and my community. As an officer of my school’s STEP UP club, I helped organize our proposal submission to the NASA TechRise Student Challenge. We were selected to design and build the payload we proposed, culminating in a launch on a rocket-powered lander. At the Chabot Space & Science Center, I started as a volunteer facilitating demos for visitors and later became an intern, guiding volunteers and assisting the Exhibit Technician in repairing exhibits and designing new ones.
Through these experiences, I have found that I am most interested in the intersection between aerospace and sustainability. I have begun to pursue this intersection, through designing a drone with a customizable payload bay for use in natural disaster response and volunteering with the Space Frontier Foundation, where I produce monthly newsletters about Space Solar Power. I plan to expand on these endeavors at university, while also engaging in opportunities like research, to be at the forefront of innovation in aerospace.
For more information on the Roger W. Kahn Scholarship, please visit aiaa.org/scholarships.
