Hyman Brand student to get National Space Club scholarship

Sophia Porter, a senior at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in Overland Park, is like many high school seniors looking for ways to pay for college.

She frequently surfs the Internet for scholarships that she can apply for to help offset college tuition costs.

So when her search led her to a scholarship through the National Space Club, she knew she had found a potential fit. Porter, of Leawood, is currently doing an internship with a Kansas City-area astrophotographer. And two years ago, she pursued her love of science by attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Summer Science Academy in Philadelphia.

“I have a ton of passions and the two foremost are science and art,” said Porter. “I enjoy a wide variety of hands-on visual art and I’m also interested in physics, particularly astrophysics.”

Much to Porter’s surprise, she was selected as the only student in the country to receive the 2015 National Space Club Keynote Scholar award and a $10,000 scholarship. Pretty impressive considering that high school seniors, college students and graduate students were eligible to apply for the award.

To win the scholarship, Porter had to first submit a three-minute videotaped speech about why she is inspired by space. After the space club chose her as one of three finalists, Porter then had to present a five-minute speech via Skype in front of a panel of judges. A few days after the speech, Porter was in her principal’s office when she received the call from the president of the Space Club telling her that she had won the scholarship.

“I was speechless,” said Porter. “I certainly had hoped to win but I didn’t set my expectations very high. I was incredibly excited and honored.”

Officials with the National Space Club cited a variety of factors for choosing Porter to receive this award.

“The National Space Club selected Sophia based on her strong academic record and impressive public speaking ability,” said President Gary Testut in a written statement. “During the nationwide selection process, she inspired us to look at space through a new lens.”

In addition to the scholarship, Porter will travel to Washington, D.C., with her parents to deliver the keynote speech in front of 2,000 aerospace professionals at the National Space Club’s annual awards dinner on Friday.

The $10,000 scholarship will certainly come in handy for Porter as to she heads to college in Baltimore this fall. She received early decision acceptance to Johns Hopkins University, where she plans to study astrophysics.

“I tend to be a very curious person and I think there is something so important in categorizing how the universe works,” said Porter. “It’s natural for humans to be aware of their surroundings and there are few better ways to do that than through science.”

A lot of hard work has led Porter to this point in her academic success. She has supplemented her learning at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy with outside classes at UMKC, Johnson County Community College and through the Blue Valley School District’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies, or CAPS, program.

Her CAPS studies have brought Porter accolades as well. In 2014, she won the CAPS Student Innovator of the Year scholarship for her work on Project SWIPE, or Software to Improve Patient Experience. It’s an app she developed with a team of students to help pediatric patients at Children’s Mercy Hospital alleviate the stress of being in the hospital. One component is a navigation feature that allows them to find their way around the hospital.

But through her pursuit of science-related studies, her love of art has always been there to provide a calming influence on her as she tackled a rigorous curriculum.

“I find art very relaxing,” said Porter. “It’s a hobby for me and something I enjoy doing in my spare time. I will listen to science lectures while I’m doing art.”

While Porter is celebrating winning the award from the National Space Club, she is also eagerly waiting to hear if she has won the national AXA Achievement Scholarship. The scholarship honors outstanding achievement in school, community or work-related activities. She is a Kansas finalist for the $10,000 scholarship, which will be awarded to one student from each state. Winners will be announced in the spring.

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Hyman Brand student to get National Space Club scholarship."