Cleared of charges after explosion, Florida teen gets full scholarship to space academy

[FourScore]

(Actually, as I understand it, the popping of the soda bottle's cap did not happen in science class, but rather on the school grounds. Still...great story!!)

Thu May 23, 2013 at 07:21 AM PDT
Cleared of charges after explosion, Florida teen gets full scholarship to space academy
by Jen Hayden

By now you've heard about Kiera Wilmot. She's the Florida teen who was arrested for setting off a small explosion in her science class:

Kiera, 16-year-old junior, was arrested after the incident, which happened outside about 15 minutes before the school day began. No one was hurt, nor did she cause any damage.

The school's resource officer arrested her on two possible felony charges, possessing a weapon on campus and discharging a destructive device. Kiera was suspended for 10 days, sent to an alternative school, which she still attends, and told she faced expulsion.

Her headline-making nightmare hit one NASA veteran hard:

The explosion struck a chord with 18-year NASA veteran Homer Hickam, a former lead astronaut training manager for Spacelab, and later for the International Space Station.

In the late 1950s, Hickam had a brush with law enforcement for allegedly starting a forest fire. State police came to his high school and led him and his friends away in handcuffs, but his high school physics professor and school principal came to the rescue, clearing him of wrongdoing.

Hickman became determined to see Kiera Wilmot succeed:

"I couldn't let this go without doing something," Hickam said. "I'm not a lawyer, but I could give her something that would encourage her. I've worked closely with the U.S. Space Academy, and so I purchased a scholarship for her."

Great news! But it gets even better:

Learning of her twin sister, Hickam raised enough money so Kiera and Kayla could attend space camp together. Hickam runs several scholarships for kids with potential, and hopes to create an ongoing Space Academy scholarship. The twins will attend in July.

Both Wilmot sisters are headed to the Space Academy! Sometimes good things really do happen to good people. Three cheers for Homer Hickam!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/23/1211154/-Cleared-of-charges-Florida-teen-gets-full-scholarship-to-space-camp

[cynatnite]

1. Good news! n/t

[malthaussen]

2. Was just about to post this.

Once in awhile, there is good news.

-- Mal

[JNelson6563]

3. I love happy endings!

Homer Hickman: Hero.

[immoderate]

4. Homer!

--imm

[niyad]

5. thanks, really glad to read that.

[kentauros]

6. And I hope her school learns a valuable lesson from this.

Way to go Kiera and Homer!

[winterpark]

15. They probably won't. It's Polk County. Redneck and racist. n/t

[Posteritatis]

36. She's still expelled, so they probably won't. (nt)

[whistler162]

49. And that must be let kids

explode devices on campus without them facing any consequences.

Great that the DA decided not to press charges and that she is going to space camp.

[Solly Mack]

7. Awesome!

[Eleanors38]

8. Got a scholarship because of her blast. So there...

I can still remember back to 1957 when in the wake of Sputnik, kids were letting fly with home-made rockets in a cow pasture (now malls & apts) with the blessing -- and assistance -- of science teachers. Some of the fuel burned quite precipitously, as in WOP! Great fun.

I wonder if Homer Hickman was doing any of this when he set the woods on fire?

[YDogg]

14. Why, yes he was.

"I wonder if Homer Hickman was doing any of this when he set the woods on fire?"

Homer Hickman is the author of Rocket Boys, which was made into the movie October Sky. One of my favorites.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/

[kentauros]

16. Yeah, that was a great movie!

[Lebam in LA]

21. Loved the Movie

Watch it anytime in comes on.

[Eleanors38]

35. Now I know. Thanks!

[ReRe]

40. That movie was what I thought of.....

..... when this honor student was condemned and expelled for her actions. Great movie. Glad to see she and sister have won a scholarship to space camp. We must acknowledge and encourage our young people to reach for the stars with their scientific experiments and ideas, not punish them for it.
There are so many discoveries yet to be made!

[Art_from_Ark]

45. Back in the '60s, Estes rockets were all the rage

I think some had a solid fuel cylinder. We shot them off in the very large school playground (outside of school hours).
Oh, the good old days...

[Javaman]

52. I still long for those days...

I loved rocketry.

I had a Saturn 1B rocket that was a 2 stager. It took me 5 tries before I was able to get it to work. I rebuilt it, each time.

There was something so amazing and beautiful about launching those rockets.

[blackspade]

57. +1000

I had a great time with rockets as a kid.
Hell I had a great time with fireworks as a kid, something my children will never get to experience in our current fear obsessed culture.

[Art_from_Ark]

58. I also had a plastic rocket propelled by water pressure

There was a control panel that had a hand pump to pump air into a partially-water-filled plastic rocket on the "launch pad". Once there was sufficient pressure in the rocket, a button could be pushed to launch it. Unfortunately, one time I put too much pressure in the rocket, and it broke.

[Javaman]

59. Those were great!

I loved using those in the summer.

We would set it off and try to quickly jump under it to get the water spray.

[Art_from_Ark]

60. I even had a Malt-O-Meal rocket once

They were miniature rubber-band-propelled rockets, maybe an inch or so high, that were included in some specially-marked boxes of Malt-O-Meal. I took mine to the movie theater once and shot it off, for some reason that only a 7-year-old kid could understand. Of course, it landed in a place where I could never retrieve it.

[Art_from_Ark]

61. And for a while, it seemed like just about everyone was giving away

maps of the Solar System. Those were so cool! I wonder whatever happened to mine?

[Lars39]

65. I think those are still being made.

They were so much fun!

[Art_from_Ark]

67. Do you have any idea who makes them?

[Lars39]

68. This is what I was thinking of:

http://www.scientificsonline.com/water-rocket.html

[Art_from_Ark]

70. That is one type that we had, for sure

Another type had a "control panel", and the rocket seemed to be bigger-- probably a foot high.

[Lars39]

71. Huh. Don't remember those.

Sounds like fun though.

[Tom Ripley]

74. We had a rocketry club at school in the early 70s and we set off many Estes rockets

Good times!

[Art_from_Ark]

75. The '60s and '70s were pretty exciting times for rocketry and space exploration

We had the moon missions, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, the Mariner unmanned mission to Venus, Viking to Mars, Pioneer to Jupiter and beyond. And when Viking successfully landed on Mars in 1976, they were predicting a manned mission to Mars by the end of the century. I wonder what people would have thought back in 1976 if they could have known that in 2013, the US would be dependent on Russia to send astronauts to the space station?

[snooper2]

9. And all the DU'ers who were giving the girl shit

Can have the "Aye Aye" middle finger

[PDJane]

10. Oh, wonderful! That's grand news! Homer is a Hero!

That's the second piece of really good stuff news this morning.

[NV Whino]

11. Yay!

Finally, someone with an ounce of sense. Good for Homer!

[Orrex]

12. Good for her--she's obviously very bright and will do well with this opportunity!

Hopefully other students who consider setting off Drano bombs will learn from her example.

[Iggo]

13. See how they almost fucked up that little girl's life?

[freshwest]

17. The two sisters and more, including a movie about Homer:

Kiera Wilmot (L) and her sister Kayla (R)

Homer Hickam, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie October Sky, has joined the ranks of scientists and engineers around the globe in support of Kiera Wilmot - the 16-year-old Florida student who found herself in hot water after her science experiment went awry.

Wilmot, who has an outstanding school record and whose mother works in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field, was expelled from school permanently and arrested by police after her science experiment caused a small explosion. Although not authorized by her teacher, no one was hurt in the incident and no damage was caused. Kiera was also charged with possession and discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device: both felonies.

Homer Hickam can relate to Kiera. In his famous memoir Rocket Boys, adapted into the film October Sky by Universal Studios, Hickam chronicled his own unauthorized experiments with rockets, including a scene where the police showed up at his high school to take him and his friends away in handcuffs.

After being made aware of Kiera's similar situation, Hickam decided to take action by personally offering her a scholarship to the United States Advanced Space Academy. ASA is a branch of the famous Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama (www.spacecamp.com/camp/asa) and offers a college-accredited program through the University of Alabama in Huntsville that includes STEM education plus college and career preparation...

DONATE

To find out how you can contribute to the fund for Kayla, please visit our fundraising link at www.crowdtilt.com/campaigns/kayla-wilmot-space-academy-scholarship.

100% of the donated funds will be given to the Wilmot family in aid of scholarship tuition, required transportation and supplies for the Academy.

Contact: Burke Allen [phone]

http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/homer-hickam-supports-high-school-student-whose-science-project-got-her-expelled-and-arrested.html



Mr. Hickam is married to Linda Terry Hickam, an artist and his first editor and assistant. They love their cats and share their time between homes in Alabama and the Virgin Islands.

http://www.homerhickam.com/about/bio.shtml

[FourScore]

19. THANK YOU!!! I LOVE THIS!!! n/t

[freshwest]

26. YW! Homer and the young ladies have a lot in common. It's important that people look for the best

in others and not dismiss the creativity and good within them.

From Homer's website, he seems to have been a high-spirited young man who was encouraged to put his talents to work. And he could see the same thing in Kiera Wilmot.

These two young ladies have a bright future ahead of them, and the entire world is enriched by opportunity.

STEM is one of the bright lights of the South. There are parallels in every situation.

[Marrah_G]

42. Smart and beautiful!

[Number23]

63. Oh no! "Permanently expelled" what will she do now?? Did she find another school?

[longship]

77. Please repost this as a new thread.

So that it gets wider DU exposure.

Thanks.

I only wish I had cash to donate. Maybe some DUers do.

[freshwest]

78. Where do you think it should go? The Lounge? GD?

[MynameisBlarney]

18. Hell yeah!

That is so awesome!!!

[Lebam in LA]

20. October Sky

Last edited Thu May 23, 2013, 02:44 PM - Edit history (1)

was a movie about Homer Hickman and his friends. Great movie.

[FourScore]

24. Good trivia! I did not know that. I like the movie...and now the man! n/t

[pokerfan]

25. which was based on the book, Rocket Boys

Great movie and a great book.

http://www.homerhickam.com/books/rb.shtml

http://books.google.com/books?id=cl8ie-5LxmEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Rocket+Boys

[Lebam in LA]

31. Rocket Boys

Could not for the life of me remember that was their name. Thanks for reminding this aging brain

[csziggy]

79. October Sky is an anagram of Rocket Boys

The title of the book upon which the movie is based. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describing Sputnik as it crossed the "October sky." Homer Hickam stated that "Universal Studios marketing people got involved and they just had to change the title because, according to their research, women over thirty would never see a movie titled Rocket Boys"[1] so Universal Pictures changed the title to be more inviting to a wider audience. The book was later re-released with the name in order to capitalize on interest in the movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Sky

Cool bit of trivia!

[UtahLib]

22. What a wonderful development. n/t

[Naijabizcom]

23. A Great motivation for them.

I' glad they are cleared of any charges, I believe this will motivate to explore and express their Gods given talents and abilities without fear. I wish them success ahead

[MisterP]

27. at Pratt & Whitney, the bigger the bang the better

[malaise]

28. Lovely

Rec

[MotherPetrie]

29. Yay! K&R!

[darkangel218]

30. I once set my stove on fire

Why am I not in space academy ??

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. kick

[Liberal_in_LA]

33. good news

[rhett o rick]

34. k&r thanks for posting.

[arely staircase]

37. awesome

nt

[Melissa G]

38. Warms my heart!

Thanks for posting! Yay Homer!!!!

[ananda]

39. Beautiful!

..

[Marrah_G]

41. Perfect

[TxDemChem]

43. On the words of my daughter

That is totally awesome! We need more women in science.

[KT2000]

44. Love this!

And he is the perfect person to step forward too.

[marble falls]

46. Wonderful! Common sense finally won one. Menwhile a young primary school student ...

was expelled for making a 'pistol' with his hand.

[Canuckistanian]

47. Excellent!

Scientific curiosity SHOULD be rewarded... and not punished.

[Warren DeMontague]

48. I didn't even know we had a space academy. Fuck, where have I been?

At Toshi Station to pick up some power converters, probably.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

51. Clearly you missed "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet"

Set during the middle of the 24th Century at the Space Academy (a training school for the Solar Guards) and aboard the 'Polaris', a Solar Guard training ship, this hugely-popular science-fiction series was one of the very few programs to air on all four major networks, including a brief period in 1951 when it ran on two networks simultaneously (NBC and ABC).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042156/

[defacto7]

50. Well, there we have the best half of a good ending....

Now for the firing of that school's principal for being so radically dimwitted.

Good for you Kiera!

[Baitball Blogger]

53. Well done.

[treestar]

54. Great News

Glad somebody came from outside to tell the school they are being stupid.

[elleng]

55. GREAT STORY! Makes my day!

x-post in 'Good News?'

[blackspade]

56. Nice that there is ray of sunshine in this pointless persecution

of this young woman.

Bravo for Hickman.

A big FU to the school bureaucrats and police for failing to use their common sense.

[Number23]

62. K&R I love this!!

Edit: I just read her blog and I am spitting mad http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kiera-wilmot/an-unexpected-reaction-wh_b_3328210.html

She is in a school where she is not being challenged because she was kicked out of her other one. I am so glad she got this scholarship, otherwise I fear she would be so pissed she'd lose interest in school altogether.

[LeftInTX]

66. I hope they don't leave her at this "alternative" school for long

She has civil rights which require her to be in the least restrictive setting that meets her academic needs.

My son was expelled and sent to a special school for a few months. However, my son was in real trouble - he was purposely setting fires at school. He was kind of a danger to others........and was at risk to repeat the same behavior.

This bright girl seems to have made a mistake and learned her lesson immediately. I don't see any reason for her to be at an alternative school.

[redqueen]

64. This could use another kick.

[Bonx]

69. Warms my heart to see

there are people who can differentiate between a youthful fascination with science vs malice/destruction. Space camp sounds awesome.

[FourScore]

72. Well said, Bonx!

And welcome to DU!

[WinkyDink]

73. Reminds me of the true story (and AWESOME Jake G. movie "October Sky"!) of Homer H. Hickam, Jr.!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/

[LittleBlue]

76. Wow! What a great ending to this story