NMSI Students Arrive in Style with Second Lady of the United States

On Tuesday, three Aberdeen High School students and one teacher met Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden at the White House before traveling via Presidential motorcade to Andrew’s Air Force Base where they boarded one of the highly customized Boeing 757 series aircraft used to transport the Vice President of the United States. They were flown to Houston, Texas where they toured the Johnson Space Center and Mission Control before welcoming astronauts back from a year-long space mission.
 

Aberdeen High School (Aberdeen, MD) is one of more than 100 schools nationwide that has already benefited from NMSI’s College Readiness Program for Military Families. With generous support from The Boeing Company, the program launched at Aberdeen in school year 2012-13. The following year, the school was named NMSI’s ‘School of the Year’ for its outstanding gains in student achievement. In just one, their number of passing scores on AP math, science and English exams jumped 137 percent—nearly 20 times the national average.

 
Students Kelly Pysh, Brandon Casquete, Sara Decker, the first non-presidential children to fly on Air Force Two, spent time with Dr. Biden and met Astronaut Scott Kelly upon his arrival back to the United States from NASA’s Year Long Space Mission. The students took part in the celebration welcoming him home along with many others, including Scott Kelly’s twin brother – and also an astronaut – Mark Kelly.
 
“Spending the day with Dr. Biden was a chance of a lifetime,” said Sara. “I had so much fun meeting Vice President Biden, flying on Air Force Two, touring NASA headquarters in Houston, meeting astronaut Scott Kelly, and so much more. Dr. Biden is such a kind and genuine person who truly wants to make a difference in the world and that is inspiring to me.”
 
Through the partnership Aberdeen High School has with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), their excellent AP test scores, and a deep connection to military families in the community, the office of the Second Lady of the United States reached out to Ms. Yvonne Gabriel, Aberdeen High science teacher