A science, technology, engineering and math program at a Maryland high school is helping a student pursue her dream of one day becoming an astronaut.

Freshman Sarah Gerst walks the hallways of Mercy High School, keeping her inspiration close for a career that might one day lead to her dream job.

"I would love to be an astronaut," Sarah said.

Sarah is already on her way. Since the summer before fifth grade, she has been going to space and aviation camps at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Honestly, everything just speaks to me about it. I love these camps with my whole heart. I've always been interested in space and space exploration since I was very young," Sarah said.

She hopes to get some flight hours soon as part of the Civil Air Patrol. Mercy is helping young women pursue careers in the STEM field with Project Lead the Way, a nationally recognized science and engineering program that focuses on biomedical sciences.

Freshmen students, like Sarah, are learning about forensics.

"Solving a crime, they've been doing DNA analysis, they've been working through it, they've been looking at hair follicles, fingerprints," said Rena Collector, coordinator of Project Lead the Way.

It's classwork that keeps her grounded now, but Sarah is looking ahead at NASA's next mission, thinking about the Artemis crew.

"I think it's really great that they are sending women and also people of color to the moon. At Mercy, we are all about empowering women, and that's a beautiful thing," Sarah said.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Without Gussie Wallace, the Apollo 11 astronauts might not have made it back to earth. This week, the Cincinnati area and the space community both were mourning her death.

"She did a lot of hard work," said Glenda Davis, Wallace's daughter, in 2019. "She came home tired many days."

Wallace worked for Avco in 1969, developing new technology for the first lunar module. Her team specifically worked on the digital uplink assembly, which she said helped make sure the lunar module could get from the moon's surface back to the orbiting spacecraft overhead.

Services will take place Saturday at the Greater Emanuel Apostolic Temple on Galbraith Road.

Watch WCPO's prior coverage of Wallace here:

Local woman was a "hidden figure" behind scenes of moon landing

CINCINNATI — After a 16-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Cincinnati Museum Center announced Saturday it plans to reopen the Children's Museum July 1.

Museum officials said recent consultation with health care professionals and new guidance from the CDC on masking and social distancing has paved the way for a safe reopening.

“We’ve been working closely with healthcare professionals and following CDC guidelines over the past several months to determine when we can responsibly reopen our Children’s Museum in a safe way that still delivers a premier learning-through-play experience,” said Museum Center president and CEO Elizabeth Pierce in a news release.

Guest capacity will be limited in the Children’s Museum to continue to allow social distancing, and the museum is implementing the same strict cleaning protocols it has been following in its other museums. Masks will be required in the museum to protect those who are not vaccinated, including children not yet eligible and those with underlying health conditions.

Updates on ticketing, member benefits and availability will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We know we’re not the only ones who will have this day circled on our calendars,” Pierce said. “Seeing kids climb through The Woods, splash through Waterworks and have those transformative moments of joy and epiphany are some of our most fulfilling moments as museum professionals.”

Along with the Children’s Museum, CMC anticipates reopening its STEM-in-action Science Interactives Gallery, presented by Procter & Gamble, this summer. The updated Ice Age Gallery, closed since the start of Union Terminal’s restoration in July 2016, will also reopen on July 1.