Madison Reporter

A student from Sun Prairie East High School has received a sponsorship to attend Madison College's STEM Academy. The sophomore, Vaughn Burgard, will benefit from a partnership with Realta Fusion, a company focused on developing commercial-scale fusion energy technology.

Madison College made an exception to include Burgard as the 51st student in their program due to the sponsorship. He will be attending full-time for his junior and senior years, earning credits that count towards both high school and college. The opportunity was extended to him because of his interest in fusion energy.

Vaughn expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity: “I'd like to study nuclear engineering, and Realta Fusion helps me work towards achieving that goal by teaching me more about fusion and future avenues in nuclear engineering.”

Realta Fusion's mission involves creating a zero-carbon process similar to what powers the sun and stars. This approach avoids long-lived radioactive waste, making it environmentally safer. Robb Hughes, Head of External Affairs at Realta Fusion, emphasized their commitment to community involvement: “We recognize that there are people who are Vaughn's age now that, by the time we have this energy system online, are going to be in the early-to-mid stages of their careers. It's on us to work with the community to help develop the workforce of the future.”

The STEM Academy at Madison College is designed for high school students interested in science-related fields. Students apply during their sophomore year and if accepted, they complete required courses at Madison College while still participating in extracurricular activities at their home high schools. The Sun Prairie Area School District covers attendance costs.

Kevin Mirus, Dean for the School of STEM at Madison College remarked on the success of Sun Prairie students: “This program is great at finding hidden talents in high schools. Sun Prairie students have done really well.”

After completing this program and graduating from high school, many students continue their education at institutions such as the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This initiative forms part of SPASD’s collaboration with Madison College aimed at giving students like Vaughn an early start on college-level coursework.

Burgard commented further on his participation: “This is very exciting for me because it allows me to make direct and meaningful connections in the world of fusion.”

For more details about this educational opportunity visit STEM Academy - Sun Prairie Area School District.