Grace Hausherr wanted to be a nurse when she was younger, but when she went on a field trip to see the Hanford nuclear reservation’s B Reactor in Richland in the eighth grade, everything changed.
“I was obsessed with it,” said Hausherr, 14. “It was amazing seeing all the science behind the scenes. Everything was so intricate. We learned about nuclear waste and everything they’re doing with it today.”
Hausherr said she hopes to go into the fields of epidemiology and nuclear engineering, although she’s got a way to go before she gets there; she’s about halfway through her freshman year at Prairie High School.
She’s taking steps toward entering those fields after college, though, as Hausherr was recently accepted as a delegate of the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders. She will represent Washington at the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists from June 29 through July 1 in Lowell, Mass.
“It’s a great chance to go meet people and share our interest in science,” Hausherr said.
She found out about the conference from a friend, and that friend passed along word of Hausherr to a familiar figure: Buzz Aldrin. The former astronaut sent Hausherr a letter nominating her for the conference. Aldrin is also the science director of the conference.
“It was definitely an interesting experience to get a letter from him,” Hausherr said. “It is kind of surreal. I was very overwhelmed.”
Hausherr said the conference is open to honors students with a GPA of at least 3.5 who have an interest in science, technology, engineering and math programs.
At the conference, she’ll listen to talks by professionals in the industry and representatives from colleges around the country as they discuss their respective fields and what students should do to get their feet in the door.
Hausherr said she is especially excited to listen to talks from some young science prodigies, such as Jack Andraka, who won the 2012 grand prize of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his paper sensor that can detect pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer before they become invasive.
“It’s definitely inspiring to see people close to my age accomplishing so much and discovering things that are changing the world and science,” Hausherr said.
She said she hopes that from the conference, she can establish a connection with some colleges and learn more about what it’s like to live in the real world and be a part of the science industry.
In the meantime, Hausherr has plenty of hobbies out of the classroom to keep her busy. She plays saxophone and is in her fifth year of band. She’s also getting back into dancing, after studying ballet a few years ago and taking a break.
More recently, she has taken an interest in photography thanks to an uncle. Hausherr said her favorite subject is nature, and she especially loves to take photos at Multnomah Falls in Oregon.
Bits ‘n’ Pieces appears Fridays and Saturdays. If you have a story you’d like to share, email bits@columbian.com.
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