STARBASE Louisiana achieves another milestone

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

You'll have to excuse Easton Verheyden for seeming a little stunned.

The Princeton Elementary student had no idea he was the 40,000th fifth-grader to enter the STARBASE Louisiana program when he stepped off the bus here Sept. 17.

"I didn't know what to think," said Verheyden. "I was just wondering, 'Are they talking to me or someone else?'"

There was no doubt among the large gathering of 307^th Bomb Wing Airmen, STARBASE Louisiana officials, and Bossier Parish School Board employees who they were here to see.

"We've got a master spreadsheet of fifth grade students that's 25 years old," said Richard Scott, STARBASE Louisiana director. "So, we've been tracking this for a long time, and it's great that it happened during our 25^th Anniversary."

In the quarter century since its inception, STARBASE Louisiana has built a reputation as one of the premier programs in the Department of Defense, winning multiple awards and partnering with several local and military entities to promote STEM education.

That involvement and commitment have helped the program accomplish its two-fold mission of inspiring a love of learning through STEM and empowering the next generation of innovators.

"We've had multiple students go on to careers in aeronautics and aviation," said Scott. "We even have a couple of graduates working for SpaceX."

STARBASE Louisiana's school house on Barksdale Air Force Base teaches primarily fifth graders. However, the program also has on-site middle and high school programs with advanced programs in areas like robotics and rocketry.

All that leaves Verheyden and other Bossier Parish students with much to look forward to as they progress through school.

However, Verheyden seemed to be simply soaking up the current moment.

"This is pretty neat, especially since my birthday is Monday," he said.

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