NORTH IDAHO
IN FOCUS THE STEM OF THEIR FUTURE PRIEST RIVER BOYS NOMINATED TO ATTEND SEATTLE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM BY DAN THOMPSON
W
hen a letter first arrived with a gold seal, Malarie Laffoon was a bit skeptical. It looked like spam mail.
future, to not encourage him more to go. And when they re-assessed, Brady was on board—and so was she.
But when she opened it, it revealed a delightful surprise: Brady, her 8-year-old son, had been nominated and invited to attend a prestigious STEM program in Seattle this summer.
“I will be in the motel next door,” she said. “I can’t see myself being six hours away from him.”
In order to be nominated, his grades had to be high and he had to demonstrate an extreme amount of maturity, both attributes Laffoon recognized. But still, a week at a camp in Seattle? “I’m thinking, ‘Really, my 8-year-old kid is gonna do this?’” Laffoon said. Brady was skeptical, too, she said, which made her feel a bit better: It was fine that he didn’t want to go. Laffoon couldn’t sleep, though, she said; it was too great of an opportunity, too huge for his
As it turned out, though, Brady wasn’t the only boy from Priest River who had been nominated. So had Austin Schuler, his classmate. And so, the plan is for two boys from North Idaho to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum's Pathway to STEM for one week in July. “This is such a small community, and Seattle’s huge,” said Kristy Schuler, Austin’s grandmother. “Austin’s never been to Seattle, so this is gonna be an experience of a lifetime. These two young boys get to go to a big city, and a university at that. I think it's a very big thing.”
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Austin, who turned 9 in September, and Brady, who will turn 9 in May, will attend the program at Northwest University. According to the program website, EnvisionExperience.com, the boys will have the opportunity to “develop skills in leadership, self-management, time management, communication, collaboration and goal setting, and will gain a better understanding of their own strengths and interests. Students will come away from the program with a clear view of their pathway toward a lifetime of rewarding work and studies, and with increased self-confidence, selfawareness and independence.” Those who attend are carefully supervised and are able to check in with their families regularly. The boys will be able to room together at night, Laffoon said, and she will never be far away. One highlight, Laffoon said, is the chance to build functional robots and bridges, which
