Katherine’s inspiration for her chosen field of study came at an early age. In fifth grade she and a classmate saw the movie Hidden Figures, the true story of a trio of women mathematicians (one of whom was named Katherine) who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Katherine’s friend bet her $1,000 that she would never work for NASA. Nine years later, Katherine is still determined to win that bet. “I plan on studying First Year Engineering, then Aerospace Engineering, at Purdue University: “The Cradle of Astronauts.” Purdue’s long-standing connection with NASA, their most notable alumni being Neil Armstrong, will give me the opportunities I need to achieve my goals.” And win the bet! Congratulations, Katherine! ​ The FHFL 2025 Opportunities Scholarship winner is Isabella Leinweber. (The FHFL Opportunities Scholarship is funded and administered by the Fountain Hills Friends of the Library.) Wasting no time in pursuing her career goals, Isabella is currently a student at Scottsdale Community College. While still in high school, she completed five core courses totaling fifteen credits towards a new SCC degree - the Bachelor’s Degree of Business Administration in Management (BBA).Her goal is to complete this program at SCC and become a purchasing manager. Isabella moved to Fountain Hills just a few years ago. She has attended school online since Middle School. In addition to her studies, Isabella became a Teen Volunteer in our FH Library and served on our Board as a Teen Rep. Working with the librarians, she helped to produce a program called Eager Explorers encompassing new learning activities for younger library patrons. As our Teen Rep, she attended all Board meetings and aided in representing the interests of our High Schoolers. Currently, in addition to her schoolwork, she is a barista at Papaya’s on the Avenue. Kudos to Isabella as she begins another chapter of her academic life! Congratulations to these young scholars! We are grateful to our members, Book Shop clientele, and volunteers who make funding these scholarships possible