Henry Benasutti’s experience as a Pinhead Intern at the Research Institute in Evanston Illinois studying the behaviors of cancerous stroma cells taught him the importance of helping others through medical research. “The researchers I worked with were the people behind the scenes trying to get an answer to unsolved questions about the human body, but never asking for recognition or fame for it,” said Henry in his scholarship essay. “My mentors and everyone who I worked with showed me that I really do love science and I really do love the science of the human body, but most of all I love to help people without asking for anything in return”

Henry, recipient of the $20,000 Neil Armstrong Scholarship recently graduated from Ridgway High School and will be attending Western Washington University to study cellular biology as a pre-med student.

This year, the scholarship committee also awarded an additional Neil Armstrong Merit Scholarship of $4,000 to a Telluride High School student.

El fondo de becas Neil Armstrong fue creado por amigos y familiares de Neil Armstrong para honrar los logros y el carácter del difunto héroe y astronauta estadounidense fallecido en 2012. La beca Neil Armstrong se concede cada año a un estudiante de secundaria de la región que curse una licenciatura en ciencias, tecnología, ingeniería o matemáticas (STEM).

In addition, the Telluride Foundation awarded one $1,000 scholarship to a student, selected by the school administration, in each of the following five school districts: Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray, Norwood, and West End.