Honoring (and Surprising!) June Scobee Rodgers

Nearly 40 years ago, Dr. June Scobee Rodgers and the Challenger STS 51L families founded Challenger Center to honor their loved ones and continue their mission of inspiring the next generation through STEM education. From the very beginning, June understood that teachers are at the heart of this mission—sparking curiosity, opening doors to discovery, and guiding young people to reach for the stars.

That’s why, since 2017, June has personally funded Challenger Center’s annual award to celebrate one extraordinary educator whose passion, spirit, and dedication reflect her own. Named in honor of June, this award recognizes and provides funding for an outstanding educator who understands the transformative power of STEM education and brings energy and inspiration into their classroom every day.

But this year, something remarkable happened: an opportunity to make this award last for generations to come. 

At this year’s Challenger Center Awards Dinner, we announced Fernando Vigil, a science teacher at Loyola Academy of St. Louis, as the recipient of the 2025 June Scobee Rodgers Award. Moments later, Mike Kincaid, our President and Executive Director, invited June to the stage and surprised her with big news.

“We don’t want this award to be just an annual honor—we want it to stand forever as a legacy to June’s incredible contributions in education,” he explained. “That’s why, behind the scenes, we’ve been raising funds to endow it.”

June was visibly caught off guard as Mike continued. “We need $72,000 to make this happen,” he said. “And after just nine weeks of fundraising, we’re already at $42,000.” The crowd erupted in applause as June clasped her hands over her mouth.

As the cheers quieted, June shared words of gratitude from the heart: “Thank you all. Challenger Center is a success because of you: your commitment, your passion, your belief in our mission. Thank you for standing with us, thank you to our board members for leading us forward, and thank you, Mike Kincaid, for being our president.” 

To help us reach our goal of fully endowing this award, a generous donor has offered to match all contributions up to $15,000. If you’re interested in donating or sharing this, you can give here. Together, we’re following in June’s footsteps to support educators who fuel curiosity, engage students, and inspire the next generation to dream big.