Heritage High School twelfth grader Micajah Mason was announced as the winner of the Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) Education Foundation’s prestigious Excellence in Science Scholarship at tonight’s School Board Meeting. The $20,000 scholarship, awarded annually to an outstanding senior interested in entering a science-related field of study, will support Mason as he pursues a degree in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech.
“You could see the true passion for engineering, science and all that it entails shine through,” said LCS Education Foundation Executive Director Dawn Wise, reflecting on her experience interviewing Mason during the scholarship candidate selection process. “This year’s LCS Excellence in Science Scholarship recipient embodies the very essence of what this scholarship was designed to honor.”
Last year, Mason represented the Central Virginia region at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, Texas with his award-winning science project, which tested whether synthetic or traditional motor oil lasts longer. Mason is ranked first in his class at Heritage High and attends Central Virginia Governor’s School. He is on the executive council of his school’s Student Leadership Organization and serves as both the captain of the varsity soccer team and a varsity wrestling starter at Heritage High.
“I am extremely grateful to the Excellence in Science Board, the Education Foundation, and its sponsors for providing me with this opportunity,” Mason said. “I fell in love with (research) in the Governor’s School, and now I’m able to fulfill my ambition of being able to take that to the next level in college,” Mason said.
Mason is also the first recipient from Heritage High in the scholarship’s history. To commemorate this milestone, Heritage High alum, engineer, and retired NASA astronaut Leland Melvin congratulated Mason with a special video at the Board Meeting.
This LCS scholarship, founded in 2013 by the family of Dr. Charles and Mary Jane Pryor, is awarded annually to a single top science or engineering graduating senior. It is funded by BWX Technologies, Inc. and Dr. Charles and Mary Jane Pryor. The LCS Education Foundation serves as the fiscal agent and facilitator.