iLEAD Exploration’s DreamUp Launch Team Charlie

My name is Grace Buchheit. I am 12 years old and in the 6th grade at iLEAD Exploration. I have been at iLEAD for four years. I am one of the Principal Investigators on Team Charlie! One of the most exciting parts of the DreamUp project so far has been the new friends I have met and stretching my thinking more than I thought I ever could. Outside of school, I spend my time raising my two lambs, Levi and Titanium, as well as baking and spending time with my dogs. I am also a member of my 4-H group, where I am the Healthy Living Officer and a Junior Leader. I also participate in public speaking, poultry, livestock, cake decorating, sewing, and arts and crafts. I am so excited for everything that is next for Team Charlie! I am grateful for all of the amazing support provided by Ms. Soto and Ms. H! We could not do this without you!

My name is Emilene Bell, and I am a 3rd grader at iLEAD Exploration in Southern California. I enjoy reading and singing, and I really enjoy playing Roblox. I am a good roller skater and hope to get better. I am an excellent Ultimate Frisbee player, and I love to run and play. And I love foxes. My love for acting has given me the chance to perform in some movies and TV shows. I was recently in a film playing a young Jewish girl whose family flees Russia on Shabbat. My acting career has allowed me to develop skills I plan to use to help promote our experiment and the DreamUp to Space program. I absolutely love being in the DreamUp to Space program and look forward to having amazing experiences with my brother, Ethan, and my launch team. Learning more about everything in space and the ISS is exciting, and I hope to never forget this. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this project and helping to advance space exploration. Thank you so much, Ms. H, Ms. Soto, and everyone. It’s been a great journey to fly with you.

My name is Ethan Bell, and I am in 6th grade at iLEAD Exploration in Southern California. I enjoy improv comedy, magic and playing the drums and ukulele, and I have a brown belt in Krav Maga. I love simulator racing, and I even set up a home racing rig. I play Ultimate Frisbee, and my team placed third in our championship tournament. As an actor my whole life, I have been in movies, TV shows, and commercials. I recently filmed an Apple TV+ show called The Afterparty. My episode will come out in May 2023 (season 2, ep. 5). I am new to DreamUp, and so far, I love it! I didn’t think I would even be on a team, let alone be a Principal Investigator on Team Charlie! I have always been interested in space, and this opportunity is amazing. I had never made Google Slides before. Grace (my fellow PI) was good at it and inspired me to figure it out. That’s just one of the many things I’ve learned through DreamUp so far. This experience is like no other, most of all because I get to do this with my sister, Emilene. I can’t wait to perform the experiment, see Team Creeping Charlie go up in a rocket ship, and have the experience of working with something that was in outer space! I’m excited to lead this team, another new experience, knowing everything I’m learning will help future me. I want to thank iLEAD Exploration, all our DreamUp facilitators and mentors, our incredible experts, my team and, of course, my family for all their support, encouragement, and guidance.

My name is Declan McAdams, and I am a 6th grader at iLEAD Exploration. I am a normal 6th grader. I like Star Wars a lot. I just saw the new Ant-Man, but life got very interesting when I flew to Mars and defeated my worst enemy Ultratron. All kidding aside, I like to write and illustrate graphic novels and make movies. I have been an artist since I was very young.
I am an avid skateboarder. I also like to bike ride and play soccer with my friends. I am new to iLEAD, but the opportunity to be a part of DreamUp to Space is extremely exciting, and I look forward to seeing how the whole process works. Go, Team Charlie!

My name is Harper Pelletier, and I am in 4th grade at iLEAD Exploration. My hobbies are camping and hiking with my family. Hiking challenges my physical limits, and I love making great memories and exploring new trails. I also enjoy cooking and love trying new recipes in my cookbooks. I love riding my electric skateboard and scooter.

I am so excited to be a part of Team Creeping Charlie. The DreamUp to Space program has inspired me to broaden my horizons, challenge myself, and seek new experiences. Mrs. Soto and Mrs. Hagemeister have been so encouraging and kind, and I look forward to all of the exciting moments to come.

My name is Peyton Pelletier, and I’m 11 years old and in 6th grade. I attend iLEAD Exploration, and my favorite subject is science.

Some of my hobbies are swimming, playing piano and guitar, reading educational books, and observing celestial events. Most recently, I have been enjoying learning how to code. I also enjoy camping and hiking with my family. Our family goal is to see all of the national parks before I graduate high school. So far I have been to 19 national parks and have earned my Junior Ranger Badge for each of them.

This is my second time on a launch team. I think DreamUp to Space is another step toward my lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. DreamUp to Space has encouraged teamwork, communication, research, and public speaking. All of these things are qualities any future astronaut should have.

Hi! My name is Christopher Watkins, and I am in 5th grade at iLEAD Exploration. I love to play sports and watch them too. I play football, baseball, and swimming. I’m going to play basketball again and ski too. My favorite sport is football. I also like playing video games and posting videos on YouTube because I have my own channel.

I’m really nice, and I’m happy to be a member of Launch Team Charlie. 

My name is Jalaine Hagemeister, and I am an educational facilitator with iLEAD Exploration and a facilitator for DreamUp to Space. I grew up here in Orange County and graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where I received my bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies as well as my California Teaching Credential. Before becoming a mom to three daughters, I was a 5th grade teacher in a traditional public school. I later discovered my love for charter/homeschool programs through the eyes of my girls. It was a joy to personally walk that journey with them and watch them thrive educationally. In my free time, I enjoy vacations with my husband, sunset picnics, nature walks with my two pups, and coffee dates with my girls.