u/Interesting_Winter27

I’d go back to 1989 and start this life from scratch😂

🙋‍♀️Hi everyone — I’m hoping this community might help support an amazing local kid named Mikey.🙏🏻

Mikey is a hardworking 5th grader from Upstate New York (Saratoga County) currently competing in the nationwide America’s Favorite Student competition. Out of thousands of students who entered, he has made it down to only 128 students remaining nationwide — and as far as we can tell, he’s now the only contestant from New York State still left in the competition.

He’s in the QUEST program for gifted learners, takes advanced math, scored in the top 1% on his CogAT testing, participated in the NYS First in Math competition, and recently played the lead role in his school play. He dreams of one day attending an Ivy League university, and this competition could really help him get there.

Voting is free once every 24 hours, and there are also optional paid votes. Paid votes are tax-deductible donations that go directly to The Planetary Society, which supports science and space education programs.

We’ve been trying so hard to spread the word ourselves because we haven’t had much luck getting local media attention, so every share, vote, and kind comment truly means a lot to us.

Thank you for taking the time to read Mikey’s story and support a great kid chasing a huge dream ❤️

Hi everyone — I’m hoping this community might help support an amazing local kid named Mikey.

Mikey is a hardworking 5th grader from New York currently competing in the nationwide America’s Favorite Student competition. Out of thousands of students who entered, he has made it down to only 128 students remaining nationwide — and as far as we can tell, he’s now the only contestant from New York State still left in the competition.

He’s in the QUEST program for gifted learners, takes advanced math, scored in the top 1% on his CogAT testing, participated in the NYS Best in Math competition, and recently played the lead role in his school play. He dreams of one day attending an Ivy League university, and this competition could really help him get there.

Voting is free once every 24 hours, and there are also optional paid votes. Paid votes are tax-deductible donations that go directly to The Planetary Society, which supports science and space education programs.

We’ve been trying so hard to spread the word ourselves because we haven’t had much luck getting local media attention, so every share, vote, and kind comment truly means a lot to us.

Thank you for taking the time to read Mikey’s story and support a great kid chasing a huge dream ❤️

Hi everyone — Our family is asking the Capital Region community for help.🙏🏻

Our son Mikey, a 5th grader from the Shenendehowa School District, is currently competing in the national America’s Favorite Student competition. Out of the thousands of students who entered nationwide, Mikey has made it down to just 128 contestants remaining — and as far as we can tell, he is the ONLY contestant left representing New York State.

Mikey is one of those kids who truly gives 100% to everything he does. He’s in the QUEST program for gifted learners, takes advanced 6th grade math as a 5th grader, scored in the top 1% on CogAT testing, competed in the NYS First In Math competition, and recently played the lead role in his school’s production of Shrek the Musical (Kids). He dreams of one day attending an Ivy League university, and this opportunity would mean the world to him.

If Mikey wins the competition, he receives:
🚀 A guided tour of The Planetary Society in California with Bill Nye
📖 A feature article in Reader’s Digest
🎓 $20,000 toward his educational future

Right now, we are in the semifinal round and we desperately need votes to keep him advancing.

The difficult part has been getting exposure. We’ve reached out to local newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, community pages, and businesses trying to spread the word, but despite our best efforts we’ve struggled to get any media attention. Many of the other contestants have had major local coverage and large social media followings behind them, while we’re just trying to rally support from our community one person at a time.

To make things worse, Facebook incorrectly flagged our voting link as spam, which has severely limited our ability to share posts and reach people during the most important round of the competition.

We know there are so many bigger problems in the world, but if anyone in the Albany/Capital Region community would be willing to vote, share his story, or help us spread the word, it would genuinely mean so much to our family — and especially to Mikey.

Voting is free once every 24 hours, and every vote truly matters right now. Semifinals end May 14th at 10 PM EST, and only first place advances. Paid votes are considered a tax deductible donation to the Planetary Society!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting a hardworking local kid chasing a once-in-a-lifetime dream. ❤️

We’re struggling to get local media coverage (other contestants from different states have been featured on the news/radio/social media). Any advice or ideas appreciated! We do have flyers at local businesses.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who said they didn’t want anything today but somehow still cleaned the kitchen, answered 47 questions, found everyone’s missing stuff, and kept the entire household functioning anyway 😂❤️

Looking for community boards in New York State!