Craft Academy graduation held May 14
The graduation ceremony for the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Class of 2022 was held Saturday, May 14. There were 53 graduates.
The student speaker was Zoe Baker of Alvaton. She is the daughter of Tyson and Mary Joe Baker. Baker was active in several extracurricular activities and service projects. She was an ambassador for the Craft Academy, led multiple focus groups, acted as a peer tutor, and was selected for an internship teaching college algebra for the Craft Academy over the summer. Baker further explored her love for STEM+ education by regularly volunteering at Rowan County Middle School. She also conducted research in the lab of entomologist Dr. Sean O'Keefe, associate professor of biology at Morehead State University, on his parasitoid wasp team, where she specialized in identifying Chalcidoidea wasps.
Baker's areas of interest at the Academy were medicine and zoology. She received the Distinguished Scholar Financial Award from MSU and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, Pre-medicine, in the fall.
The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics is a dual-credit academy for academically exceptional Kentucky students. Craft Academy provides students with a postsecondary residential experience to complete their junior and senior years of high school by enrolling in college courses. The Craft Academy’s purpose is to meet the unique educational needs of academically gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors in the Commonwealth. The academic rigor of the Craft Academy challenges students to excel at their highest level through project-based STEM+X courses and hands-on learning experiences, with emphasis on innovation, design and creativity, and civic and regional engagement.
Funding for the Craft Academy comes from the contributions and support of Dr. Joe Craft and his wife, Ambassador Kelly Craft, who both attended the ceremony. The couple have donated approximately $10 million to the Academy with additional funding coming from state appropriations.
View a photo gallery of the 2022 Craft Academy graduation at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzQctr.
View the 2022 Craft Academy Graduation program at https://bit.ly/3lonZsI.
For more information about the Craft Academy, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/craft-academy, email craftacademy@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2093.
Photo, right: Craft Academy graduate Hailey Costanzo of Richmond (center right) pictured with Dr. Joe Craft (far left), Ambassador Kelly Craft (center left) and MSU President Dr. Jay Morgan (far right) at the 2022 Craft Academy graduation ceremony.
