May 5, 2020-- Earlier this year, Kayley Pagano's sixth-grade science classes at Intermediate South entered a contest hosted by Stockton University to design a mission patch. Recently she was informed that one of her students, Miniyah Varela, was named the winner.

To the victor go the spoils, and what's extraordinary about Miniyah's winning design is that it will be sent into space, flying to the International Space Station during a mission scheduled for early summer 2020.

"This was no easy feat since we had a total of 860 patch entries," wrote Stockton University Associate Professor of Education Dr. Norma Boakes in a message to Pagano.

This was year 14 of the university's Mission Patch Contest, which is sponsored by the Student Spaceflight Experiments Project (SSEP). "Patches are a tradition in the space flight program and the art reflects the values and ideals of the mission participants," reads the contest's website. 

Winning patch designs throughout the world can be viewed here, and more information about the SSEP Mission program can be viewed at the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) website.

After its space mission, the patch will return to Intermediate South where it will be displayed as a keepsake and source of pride for the school. Congratulations to Miniyah on this magnificent achievement!