Post by Fort Hays State University

Heart of a Tiger By President Tisa Mason While many people in Kansas grow up in quiet towns like Carter’s hometown of Denison, not everyone decides to move away to college before they even have a driver’s license. This is the story of how a "quietly confident" student went from a small high school to building rockets and testing the Earth’s water. Carter’s journey didn’t happen by accident. His path to success began when he met Sherri Matlock and Suellyn Stenger, leaders of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) at FHSU. When Carter arrived at FHSU, his world got a lot bigger. One of the first things he did was join a rocketry group. Working with Dr. Paul Adams, Carter learned how to build and launch rockets. It wasn't just about making things go "zoom." He had to learn physics and how to ensure the rockets could land safely. But it wasn't all fun and games. Carter also dove into serious science research. Even though he plans to stay at Fort Hays State and major in Biology next year, he spent much of his time at KAMS working in the Geosciences department. He worked with Dr. Jeanne Sumrall, testing well water across Kansas for nitrates. Read more about Carter's story: https://hubs.ly/Q04k6xml0