ACADIA PARISH — A young science enthusiast’s love for learning could earn her the title of America’s Favorite Student.
Addisyn is competing in a national contest with a grand prize that includes a feature in Reader’s Digest, a trip to California to tour the Planetary Society with Bill Nye, and a cash prize. To vote for her, click here.
If she wins, Addisyn already has plans for the money.
“I’m going to donate some to the [animal] shelter and my school, and then I’ll save the rest for the trip to see otters,” Addisyn said. “I really want to see otters because I’ve never seen them in real life before.”
Addisyn’s mother said her daughter was curious from a young age.
“Randomly, one day, [she said] ‘Mom, what planet’s red?’ Now, I don’t even know what planet’s red. But she knew, and she was quizzing us,” Addisyn’s mother said.
Born to a family that values educational experiences over tangible items, Addisyn spends her summers traveling to what she calls “learning places.” This has only grown her curiosity.
A science girl through and through, Addisyn told KATC that her interest came from her love for animals. She’s particularly interested in how animals evolve to survive in their natural habitats— hence her hope to go swimming with the otters.
“I’ve always wanted to know how their life works and like, how they live and stay alive on their own without people taking care of them,” Addisyn said. “I’ve always wanted to know how their bodies work in the environment that they’re in.”
Because of her family’s research into museums and NASA centers, the competition for America’s Favorite Student popped up on their timeline.
“All the museums and different NASA centers are always popping up [on my social media], and they had a competition for the favorite student,” Addisyn’s mother said. “I was like perfect. Like, why not?”
So they threw Addisyn’s hat in the ring. Fast forward to now— she has two more days to get from eighth place into the top five to stay in the competition for a chance to win the grand prize.