Future Science Educators Blast Off with Main Engine Start Scholarships

Hold onto your beakers, folks, because the future of science education is looking brighter than a supernova! It’s officially the year two-thousand-twenty-four, and the awesome non-profit, Main Engine Start, is on a mission to launch the next generation of STEM superstars. They’ve just awarded some pretty stellar scholarships to three aspiring elementary school teachers, all ready to ignite a passion for science in young minds. And get this – the scholarships honor the legacy of a true education rockstar, Christopher John Stupak, a dedicated elementary school teacher who clearly made a difference.


Meet the Science Squad

Get ready to be seriously impressed. Our scholarship winners are already total rockstars in their own right. Let’s give it up for:

  • Ashley Carosella, reppin’ Flemington, NJ
  • Alexa Tozzi, hailing from Bridgewater, NJ
  • Kelly Zona, straight outta Hillsborough, NJ

This trio of brainiacs isn’t messing around. They’ve already crushed it at Raritan Valley Community College, snagging those Associate of Arts in Education degrees like it’s no big deal. And now? They’re taking on the world as senior Elementary Education majors at Centenary University. Talk about an overachiever alert – in the best way possible, obvi.


Unpacking the Scholarship Swag

This isn’t your average “here’s-a-certificate-and-a-pat-on-the-back” kind of scholarship, guys. We’re talking the “Christopher John Stupak Scholarship for the Next Generation of Elementary School Science Teachers.” Yeah, it’s a mouthful, but it comes with a serious chunk of change – a cool six grand for each recipient.

This scholarship is all about supporting those awesome humans who are passionate about making science fun and easy to understand for little ones. Because let’s be real, science should be about sparking curiosity and exploration, not inducing flashbacks to those awkward middle school dissection days (shudders).