Cawood Elementary School rising eighth grader Eli Epperson has been selected to participate in the Appalachian STEM Academy in July. It is hosted by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, TN.
The program is a gateway to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for students residing in the Appalachian region.
He will work with award winning scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to conduct guided group science, math, computer science and technology research projects.
Epperson is an outstanding student, excels in math and science. He loves to learn and study about space.
His hobby is astrophotography, taking pictures of things in space like nebula, galaxies, stars and anything in general. He utilizes his Dwarf 3 telescope.
He is a certified spotter for the National Weather Service and has submitted reports of severe weather in his community.
In 2022, he was chosen to participate in the Students Teaching Astro Research (STAR) project with 26 of his peers from across eastern Kentucky at the Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky. The participants took part in an In-Flight Downlink with Astronaut Jessica Watkins at the International Space Station (ISS) with collaboration from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The group focused on learning about space and teaching their fellow classmates about their own learning experience. They received a flight jacket and a special STARS patch for participating. Eli says the program strengthened his interest in space which he developed “by walking outside one night and looking up at the stars.”
In addition, he likes cars and learning about designs and mechanics.
He is the son of Chris and Tabitha Epperson.