Four students from Mercer Island High School have been chosen to participate in the Washington Aerospace Scholars summer residency program. The Mercer Island juniors are among 160 picked from around the state whose academic performance in the WAS phase one curriculum qualified them to move on to phase two.

Katie Bell, Nolan Conway, Nathan Schuler and Kevyn Tran will move on to phase two of the program.

WAS is a free, competitive, science, technology, engineering and mathematics program for juniors in Washington. The program is affiliated with the NASA Johnson Space Center National High School Aerospace Scholars program, which strives to excite and prepare students to pursuer careers in STEM fields.

This year the program began with 285 students competing for spots in the summer residency and earn UW credit.