MEADOW BRIDGE, WV (WOAY) – Every year, a Meadow Bridge graduate returns to give space camp scholarships to fifth graders at Meadow Bridge Elementary.
This year, Russell Dunford, an Army Veteran and founder of the “Failure is Not an Option” Space Camp Scholarship, gave it out to Kyndal Gilkeson and Morgan Butcher. Dunford and his daughter, Annie, who is in the Air Force Academy spent the afternoon talking with the students about their own experiences trying to inspire the next generation.
“We’re opening up the students to ideas and exploration that they might not never knew existed, that’s all we can ask for. Planting seeds so they go on and do better things,” Russell said.
Russell and Annie Dunford started out in classrooms doing separate presentations and then all 4th, 5th and 6th graders joined them for the scholarship presentation in the gym.
“Even though I didn’t go here, it’s nice to like help my dad out and really like try to make an impact in these kids’ lives because even when I was talking to them, they get so excited to learn about even what I’m talking about, something they’ve never heard about before,” Annie said.
NASA’s Space Camp will take place this summer in Huntsville, Alabama.
