Levittown School District’s Wisdom Lane Middle School eighth-grade student Nikhil Keer is the first-place national winner (seventh-grade) of an essay contest sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Systems Technical Committee.
During the 2015-16 competition, Keer wrote the winning essay discussing how either a moon base or Mars base can help us learn about the Earth and space and presented data supporting his conclusions.
In addition, Keer was the first-place regional winner, with Michael Vota placing third among students from Long Island and Westchester County. Keer and Vota both received cash awards and teacher Leslie Maynard received a stipend, with which she will purchase telescopes for the school’s Earth and Space Club. Keer’s essay will also be published in Aerospace America magazine.
