Murray High School juniors Preston Key and Macee Flores have been selected as Murray High School's 2024 United Space School representatives

Murray High School juniors Preston Key and Macee Flores have been selected as Murray High School's 2024 United Space School representatives.

These two will represent the only U.S. high school for the twenty-first year in a row at the International Space School, a two-week space academic learning initiative in Houston’s Bay area. Affiliated with NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, United Space School invites one U.S. high school along with approximately 34 students from 28 other countries to participate each summer.  Flores and Key will join students from countries that include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, South Africa, Namibia, Italy, France, Germany, England, Russia and India representatives.  While there, the participant’s daily activities involve working with civil and contractor aerospace professionals to provide needs-based instruction in topics relevant to designing a “Manned Mission to Mars,” assignment. Divided into four teams, each team designated by a colored uniform is responsible for a specific and integrated portion of the Mission while attending the school.

To apply students completed a Manned Mission to Mars application and assignment through Murray High School. An MHS panel comprised of former space camp members and MHS faculty members make the final decision from the applicant pool.

 

"Murray High is proud of both our partnership with the NASA Space School program and especially our students, Macee and Preston, who were able to continue the tradition established years ago.  We are so excited for them as they were able to experience an opportunity that few students receive," said Tony Jarvis, MHS principal.

Flores and Key join past MHS recipients that include:  Reed Falwell and Emma Pogue (2023), Maggie Drew and Christopher Powell(2022), Josh Eaton and Andrew Orr (2021) , Olivia Kelly and Korey Knight (2020), Echo Falwell and Tomas Ferryera (2019), Olivia Baron and Cole Kelley (2018), Kagan Hileman and Than Thawainin Gaddis (2017),  Abby Parker and Adrian Gaddis (2016), Megan Wilson and J.R. Williams (2015),  Etta Danielson and Prashant Chakradhar, (2014),Victoria Holmes and Jacob Barron (2013), Alex Carney and Stephen Orr (2012), Morgan Huston and Fumi Nakamura (2011), Carolina Covington and Robert Cignoni (2010) (Covington wasn’t able to attend and Ian Holmes attended in her place), Chloe Zimmerer and Paul Gong (2009), Christin Gong and Nathan Watson (2008), Caitlin Williams and Bradley Cobb (2007), Sarah Kuykendall and Luke Welch (2006), Laura Harris and Austin Carter (2005), Jonathan Raj and Rachael Williams (2004), and Ryan Cobb and Haley Hart (2003).

Robert Alexander, a shuttle robotics engineer with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates and ISS board member, assists the ISS board of directors with a panel of distinguished aerospace professionals by serving as an advisor in strategically locating the schools represented at ISS. Alexander, the grandson of the late Dr. Max and Kay Carman, said Murray High School was first invited 19 years ago when Murray’s diversity, along with their science and math test rankings, helped in being chosen as the U.S. representative. “Murray’s location, little exposure and a diverse community, were among the criteria that aided in the decisive factor,” he said. “The fact that the school system had won numerous awards and applause for achievement was also a main factor that was appealing to our United States high school representative(s)." 

Flores is the daughter of Mark and Mandee Flores.  Key is the son of Paul and Christine Scarbrough-Key.