PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A student at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth is headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to expand her knowledge in engineering.
AsiaMonae Hawkins was caught by surprise when she received a letter in the mail. She learned she had been nominated by her STEM teacher to attend The National Leadership Conference to focus on engineering.
"When I go to this program, I wanted to learn more about engineering and also my love for engineering because a lot of people have jobs, but they don't like their job, or have a passion for it," Hawkins said.
According to The National Student Leadership Conference website, the cost to attend the summer program is around $4,000.
But Hawkins had no doubt her support system would raise the money.
She ended up raising $8,000 with the help of family, friends, and the Portsmouth community.
"Me and my mom were doing fundraisers and people that we knew in our family, telling them I got nominated for something," she said.
Heather Overkemp, Hawkins' STEM teacher at I.C Norcom, says AsiaMonae is wise beyond her years.
"She's always right there in the mix, whether it's an independent assignment or a group assignment and she has taken over as the team leader," said Overkemp said.
When selecting the kids to nominate, Overkemp mentioned she looks for students who truly have a passion for STEM.
"She is such a go-getter, and she takes the initiative to find opportunities," Overkemp said.
Hawkins said she is overjoyed by the support, but she couldn't have done it without her mom.
"I got into high school and was able to do something and be nominated for something as big as this. No matter what I do my mom will be proud of me," said Hawkins.
Hawkins will be headed to Georgia Tech with her mom this summer to attend the program.
To learn more about how your child could qualify for the program, click here.
