Washington, DC: The National Space Club & Foundation proudly announces that, after a nation-wide search, Sarah Cantwell has won the National Space Club & Foundation’s Keynote Scholarship, securing her role as the keynote speaker during the Club's 69th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Washington Hilton.

A senior at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida, Ms. Cantwell exemplifies excellence in STEM, leadership, and service. She captains Trinity Prep’s cybersecurity team, leading the first all-girls team to earn Florida’s CyberPatriot Top Award two years in a row, and serves as a Red Team Intern at Lockheed Martin, where she assesses system vulnerabilities alongside top cybersecurity experts.

Sarah’s impact extends far beyond cybersecurity. She founded and leads her school’s Mock Trial Team, taking the inaugural program from last place to finalists in the Orange County 9th Circuit Competition in just one year. A four-sport varsity athlete, she is captain of the varsity volleyball team, a 2025 FHSAA All-Academic and All-State honoree, and earned Rookie of the Year in varsity lacrosse. She also co-founded the Student Investment Fund, serving as CTO and helping raise over $50,000 toward a legacy endowment.

In space-related research, Sarah has spent the last two years as a lead team member on the International Space Station (ISS) Rideshare Project, collaborating with South African schools to code sensors that track vibrational data aboard the ISS. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano.

Sarah plans to pursue a career in cybersecurity and computer engineering, with aspirations to work in aerospace defense and protect critical space infrastructure.

As the 2026 Keynote Scholarship recipient, Sarah will serve as the keynote speaker at the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner and receive a $50,000 scholarship.

The Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner is the major event of the Washington, DC space calendar. First celebrated in 1958, it is traditionally held each year near the anniversary of the first successful flight by Dr. Goddard of a liquid-fueled rocket. The dinner brings together nearly 2,000 members of the government, industry and educational space community. In addition to the Keynote Scholarship, the Club presents several awards at the dinner to outstanding individuals for accomplishments in spaceflight, engineering, science, management and education. The premier award, the Goddard Trophy, is presented to the individual, group or program deemed to have made the most significant contribution to U.S. leadership in rocketry and astronautics either as a lifetime of achievement or in the previous calendar year.

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The National Space Club and Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to fostering excellence in space activity through interaction between industry and government, and through a continuing program of educational support. Youth Education is a premier focus of the Club, providing over $160,000 in scholarships and internships each year. Awards are offered to recognize outstanding accomplishments in spaceflight, engineering, science, management, and education.

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