Thursday, October 1, 2026
Katherine Gilman, Class of 2026 salutatorian at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, has built a reputation for academic excellence, leadership and service, accomplishments that recently earned her one of the nation’s most prestigious merit scholarships.
Gilman was selected as part of the Stamps Scholars Program’s 21st class, joining 393 students chosen from roughly 655,000 applicants nationwide. Founded in 2006, the program partners with universities across the country to support students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership, service and perseverance.
Gilman will attend the University of Notre Dame this fall, planning to study aerospace engineering.
Earlier this year, she was awarded the highly competitive Stamps Scholarship, but the scholarship process began quite unexpectedly for her.
Gilman said she first learned that she had been nominated while attending a movie with her father, thinking the email she was reading might not be legitimate.
“I thought it was a scam,” she said with a laugh, recalling the message.
The selection process included multiple rounds of interviews with university officials and Stamps Scholarship representatives. During the interviews, Gilman discussed her academic achievements, leadership experiences and commitment to community service.
After advancing through the process, she received the news that she had been selected while sitting in her pre-engineering class at Carey.
“I got the email on my phone,” Gilman said. “I turned to Fiona (Lin), the valedictorian, and I’m like, ‘Wanna read this? Is this true?’”
The scholarship covers tuition and other educational expenses and includes enrichment funding that can be used for research opportunities, study abroad programs and other academic experiences.
Gilman said she hopes to use the funding to pursue aerospace engineering research, gain international experience and continue exploring opportunities in science and technology.
At Carey, Gilman distinguished herself both inside and outside the classroom. She was part of a student team that won NASA TechRise Student Challenge, designing and building a payload that was launched roughly 80,000 feet into the atmosphere to collect data.
“We were selected out of like 720 groups,” she said. “I just really liked the engineering part of it, where we got to do actual hardware, solder, code and design.”
In addition to her engineering work, Gilman devoted significant time to mentoring younger students and promoting STEM education. She helped establish programs that introduced students to engineering concepts and supported academic research initiatives.
Gilman said mentoring younger students in robotics and engineering was one of the most rewarding parts of her high school experience and helped strengthen her passion for STEM.
Jack Chen, Carey’s pre-engineering teacher, praised Gilman’s dedication earlier this year when she was recognized as salutatorian.
“She commits her skills and quiet determination to helping others succeed,” he said.
Gilman said she plans to continue that commitment to service and mentorship in college while pursuing opportunities with Notre Dame’s engineering and rocketry programs.
She is particularly interested in joining engineering organizations that focus on satellite technology and aerospace research, areas that align with her long-term goal of working in the aerospace industry.
Reflecting on her accomplishments, Gilman encouraged younger students to take advantage of opportunities and pursue activities that genuinely interest them.
Gilman said she hopes to use the scholarship’s enrichment funding to pursue aerospace engineering research, study abroad opportunities and hands-on projects that will prepare her for a career in the field.
As she heads to Notre Dame this fall, she plans to build on the engineering experience she gained at Carey through programs such as NASA TechRise while continuing her commitment to mentoring younger students interested in STEM.
