Bailey Sasseville of Lake Braddock Secondary School Earns Top Honor

First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and the Virginia Council on Women announced the winners of the 4th annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Essay Contest for high school junior and senior girls.

Burke student Bailey Sasseville of Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke was awarded a $5,000 scholarship in the statewide contest. Nearly 400 students entered.

The Council awarded five scholarships in all to female juniors and seniors pursuing STEM careers at institutions of higher education, the highest award winner receiving a $10,000 scholarship.

Three hundred and eighty-one young women from across the Commonwealth submitted essays focusing on the student’s vision for a future STEM career. The awardees were recognized today at a reception hosted by the Governor and First Lady at the Executive Mansion.

The First Lady congratulated the awardees today saying, “Advancing STEM education across the Commonwealth is a top priority of our administration’s efforts to build a new Virginia economy,” she said.

“The STEM Essay Contest encourages young women to think, study and express themselves on topics that are perfectly aligned with our modern economy,” she said. “The Governor and I are so proud of this year’s contest winners and all of the Virginia students who are preparing to lead the economy of the future in these important STEM fields.”

The award recipients are as follows:

- First Place, $10,000 scholarship award: Valerie Chen of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA

- Second Place, $8,000 scholarship award: Anna Ruefer, Homeschool, Fairfax Station, VA

- Third Place, $5,000 scholarship award: Paige Haley of St. Margaret’s School, Tappahannock, VA

- Fourth Place, $5,000 scholarship award: Nayla Labban of Mills E. Godwin High School, Henrico, VA

- Fifth Place, $5,000 scholarship award: Bailey Sasseville of Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA

Applicants were required to be females who reside in Virginia, are enrolled as a junior or senior in high school and hold at least a 2.5 GPA.

The purpose of the Virginia Council on Women is to help women reach their potential and maximize their contributions to society and the Commonwealth as wage earners and citizens. The Council has initiated several projects to meet this goal. One is the annual STEM essay contest for young women in high school. For more information on the Council or on available sponsorship opportunities, please visit:https://commonwealth.virginia.gov/council-on-women/.