My name is Delaney Kilgour, and I am a member of the Cold Lake First Nations and I am a student at Beaver Lake's Amisk Community School.
I was adopted and raised by my grandparents Brian and Karen Young — they are my mom and dad. With their love and support, I was able to travel in Canada, the United States, and this spring I was able to visit friends in the Phillipines.
I know I make my parents worry because I was born with a heart conditions and had surgery in the summer of 2017.
I always remember getting Lego since I was small. I was not allowed to run, ride a bike or do much exercise. My parents, family and friends would always buy me Lego. Now I build ships, bridges and I event build a Niagara Falls with Lego. They are amazing and I use motors and stuff to build my robots.
In Grade 1, my teacher Mrs. B showed me a book about space that I remember. I think it was Buzz Lightyear. I wanted to be him. Then in Grade 3/4, my teacher Mrs. Spence really believed in me. Language and spelling is hard. When I thought I wouldn't be a good speller, Ms. Spence would say, "Don't give up." That year I won the spelling B competition. I was so proud of myself.
Then my teacher in Grade 5/6, Ms. Mason was so kind and the times that I didn't want to do my work, she would sit with me and help me to understand.
My teacher now in Grade 7 is Ms. Castor. She is more patient and my school work is getting harder. All I can hear is Ms. Spence saying, "Don't give up."
I like school because the more I do, the more I get back from my teachers. My bus drivers, Felix and Lumberjack are the best.
Ms. Bev Anderson, I always remember her saying, "Reach for the stars, Delaney." She is my star now. I have a picture with her on my wall and I pray to her to watch over me and I ask her to help me in my schoolwork when I don't know how to do it.
I may not be able to fly to the moon, but someday I want to help build the arms fo the space shuttle that goes to the moon. Build robotic arms and legs for people who need them, especially for my auntie Eileen Beaver, she has a special foot that is made from robotics.
The first time I heard of the Engineering and Robotics Summer Camp was from my nurse at the Stollery Children's Hospital in the cardiac care unit. The more she talked about it, the more I wanted to go. With help from family and friends and collecting bottles, I was able to go to the University of Toronto Engineering and Robotics Summer Camp in 2017. On the last day of camp, the teachers talked about the NASA summer space camp. I was so excited they talked about the camp. I told my mom and dad that I wanted to go to the NASA camp. My parents said that it is expensive and that I would have to help to pay for the tuition.
I don't think my mo and dad believed me that I was so serious. I starting saving last year and I'm proud to say that I have been accepted and have paid my own tuition for the 2019 NASA Space and Rocket Summer Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. I've been doing little odd jobs like babysitting cats and dogs and picking bottles. I would like to thank my family and friends who gave me their bottles — and I'm still going to need their help.
There are two other people who I love so much, and that is my auntie Denise Gugel and my dad Ian Kilgour, they enjoy movies, they are not afraid of trying new things, and are in to the space and science stuff. I still need to save for my space jumpsuit and stuff like airfare, hotel and food while I am there. I will not give up and I will finish my school someday and go on to build robots.
I would like to thank all of my teachers from Amisk Community School, my parents Brian and Karen Young and Ian Kilgour for making my dream come true. I love you.
Sincerely Delaney Kilgour.
To help Delaney on his mission to NASA, contact ............. to set up a time for him to collect bottles for recycling or to donate to his mission.
