Prize Recipient

Jessica Starr

Background:

Jessica Montoya Starr is an incoming Native American freshman to the University of Denver, double-majoring in Astrophysics and Art. Her interest in astrophysics comes from volunteering over 500 hours at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where she spent time in temporary exhibits and the new permanent space exhibit, Space Odyssey. The ability to see firsthand how scientists use current knowledge and new theories to find new knowledge piqued her interest in the sciences. She was given the opportunity by the University of Denver and its high school to take college courses for college credit. Needless to say, Jessicas first pick of classes were two astronomy courses, at which she excelled. Both of these classes took place in the Chamberlin Observatory, a historic observatory which has a working large telescope where students would regularly view and record observations. Jessica chose to stay in her home city of Denver so that she could go to the University of Denver, which had supported her interest in her majors, and so that she could keep volunteering. Along with volunteering at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, she also gives her time to the Mayors Youth Commission, The Veterans of Hope Project, the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, and the Womens Foundation of Colorado, where she is an advocate of minority womens rights. She graduated with an Arts Endorsed Diploma with a 4.4 weighted GPA from the Denver School of the Arts, and is honored and humbled to receive the APS Minority Scholarship.