Update (May 6, 2025): Thanks to the generosity of the community, the Hughey family reached their fundraiser goal and secured Colton's spot in the program!

Colton Hughey, a fourth-grade student at Rocky Plains Elementary School, has been afforded the opportunity of a lifetime for a STEM-loving kid such as himself. But he will not be able to attend unless the community bands together to get him there.

Colton was nominated by Mrs. Marcel Carter, Assistant Principal at Rocky Plains, to attend a special program for bright children like himself. It is the National Youth Leadership Forum Pathways to STEM program, and is a nearly weeklong camp hosted at Emory University in Atlanta in the summer.

Admission to the program would cost Colton’s parents $3,245, which is money the family does not have budgeted.

The price is steep, but Colton’s mother, Jennifer, says they are doing all they can to raise money to get Colton there, including starting a GoFundMe and hosting a yard sale.

“Due to a few unfortunate circumstances the last couple of years, we have been in a rebuilding process for our family and we do not have enough to cover the cost,” Jennifer said. “So far, we have raised about $1,700 through the GoFundMe, a yard sale and some family donations.”

With $1,700 raised, the family was able to go ahead and make a $500 deposit on Colton’s spot. But they only have until May 21 to raise the other $1,545 before the deposit is nonrefundable.

Jennifer hopes that the money can be raised so that Colton can experience this priceless activity.

“This is such an incredible offer for my child,” Jennifer said. “I feel like, at times, he has had to take a backseat because of his sister's health issues. This is his chance to shine and to get a week away from home to make new friends and do hands on learning in the fields of healthcare, engineering and crime scene investigation. He will learn to be more independent and self confident. I want nothing more than to see this happen for him.”

Colton is a big brother to three little siblings. He loves video games, playing with his friend and reading the “I Survived” series. And he loves his teacher, Mrs. Hammond.

“She’s my favorite teacher in fourth grade,” Colton said. “She is like the nicest teacher I have ever had.”

Colton’s favorite part of science is performing experiments. He even does them at home.

“You know what happens when you combine baking soda, citric acid and water, don’t you?” Colton asked. “It erupts like a volcano, so that’s probably my favorite science experiment.”

Colton’s nomination letter said that he would be able to explore three different STEM pathways: Medicine, engineering and crime scene investigation.

The letter says that, over the course of the week, Colton would get to learn how to program a robot, learn about detective work to solve a case and dive into the world of medicine.

“I really want to do it,” Colton said emphatically. “The most interesting thing I want to do, I think there’s a crime scene investigation thing. Also, I get to sleep over there for almost an entire week – six days.”

Despite only being in the fourth grade, Colton is already learning quickly and leaving impressions on his school.

Colton competed in the Georgia Student Technology Competition, where he won first place at the regional level. Colton’s submission was a video game design made in coding software. He titled it, “Where is my remote?” 

When his mom told him the news of his regional victory, Colton said he started cheering and was “bouncing off the walls.”

This success played a role in Carter’s decision to nominate him for this summer program.

“His hard work, creativity, and dedication has paid off and this would be a great opportunity for him to improve those skills,” Carter said. “We are very proud of Colton's accomplishments and hope this can be something he can be a part of.”

Without generosity from strangers, Colton will miss out on his chance to expand his love of STEM and develop new skills. If you are interested in making a donation to Colton’s GoFundMe, the link is available here.

“My son is a very compassionate learner and he has worked hard every year in school,” Jennifer said. “He has several awards to his name and he has truly earned this opportunity. There has only been three other students from his school to make it into this program. I would love for him to be the fourth person.”