Headlines

Students' Dessert Chosen to Satisfy Astronauts' Sweet Tooth
Students' Dessert Chosen to Satisfy Astronauts' Sweet Tooth

It's not every day that high school students create a sweet treat that is bound for the International Space Station (ISS)—but students in the Ulster BOCES Culinary Arts program managed to do just that. The team of three, two hailing from Kingston High School and one from Wallkill High School, won first place in the 2017 NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) Culinary Challenge with their strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Sara Freer and Lauren Hoetger, both of Kingston High School, and teammate Angelina Violante of Wallkill High School surpassed the culinary challenges set forth by NASA, which included meeting nutritional requirements, by creating a treat that can be packaged and delivered to space, all while making a better tasting final course for the astronauts.

While developing and modifying their recipe, the students had to consider how critical it is for astronauts to maintain their weight while in space, as well as the psychological impact food has on the crew during an ISS mission. They also had to examine the effects of microgravity on food while in space. The trio defeated nine other teams from across the country at a competition held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 20.

Freer, who plans to pursue a post-secondary culinary education, says the experience gave her and her teammates confidence in their culinary abilities. "It was nerve-wracking. We had two hours to make the dish with the judges watching us the whole time," she says. "It taught me a lot about working under pressure, staying focused, and working on long-term projects. It was also validation that I can achieve a career in the culinary field."