Photo: (from left) 2025 MHS International Space School recipients Anatasia Arkova and Alyman Dalloul
Murray, Ky., April 28, 2025—Murray High School juniors Anastasia Arkova and Alyman Dalloul have been selected as Murray High School's 2025 United Space School representatives.
These two will represent the only U.S. high school for the twenty-second year in a row at the International Space School, a two-week space academic learning initiative in Houston’s Bay area. Affiliated with NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, United Space School invites one U.S. high school along with approximately 34 students from 28 other countries to participate each summer. Arkova and Dalloul will join students from countries that include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, South Africa, Namibia, Italy, France, Germany, England, Russia, and India. While there, the participant’s daily activities involve working with civil and contractor aerospace professionals to provide needs-based instruction in topics relevant to designing a “Manned Mission to Mars,” assignment. Divided into four teams, each team designated by a colored uniform is responsible for a specific and integrated portion of the Mission while attending the school.
To apply students completed a Manned Mission to Mars application and assignment through Murray High School. An MHS panel comprised of former space camp members and MHS faculty members make the final decision from the applicant pool.
““Once again, MHS has the honor of sending two students, Anastasia and Alyman, to space school, and we again benefit from our unique relationship and partnership with the NASA program. We are so excited for them as they will experience an opportunity that few students receive," said Tony Jarvis, MHS principal.
Arkova and Dalloul join past MHS recipients that include: Macee Flores and Preston Key (2024), Reed Falwell and Emma Pogue (2023), Maggie Drew and Christopher Powell(2022), Josh Eaton and Andrew Orr (2021) , Olivia Kelly and Korey Knight (2020), Echo Falwell and Tomas Ferryera (2019), Olivia Baron and Cole Kelley (2018), Kagan Hileman and Than Thawainin Gaddis (2017), Abby Parker and Adrian Gaddis (2016), Megan Wilson and J.R. Williams (2015), Etta Danielson and Prashant Chakradhar, (2014),Victoria Holmes and Jacob Barron (2013), Alex Carney and Stephen Orr (2012), Morgan Huston and Fumi Nakamura (2011), Carolina Covington and Robert Cignoni (2010) (Covington wasn’t able to attend and Ian Holmes attended in her place), Chloe Zimmerer and Paul Gong (2009), Christin Gong and Nathan Watson (2008), Caitlin Williams and Bradley Cobb (2007), Sarah Kuykendall and Luke Welch (2006), Laura Harris and Austin Carter (2005), Jonathan Raj and Rachael Williams (2004), and Ryan Cobb and Haley Hart (2003).
Robert Alexander, a shuttle robotics engineer with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates and ISS board member, assists the ISS board of directors with a panel of distinguished aerospace professionals by serving as an advisor in strategically locating the schools represented at ISS. Alexander, the grandson of the late Dr. Max and Kay Carman, said Murray High School was first invited 19 years ago when Murray’s diversity, along with their science and math test rankings, helped in being chosen as the U.S. representative. “Murray’s location, little exposure and a diverse community, were among the criteria that aided in the decisive factor,” he said. “The fact that the school system had won numerous awards and applause for achievement was also a main factor that was appealing to our United States high school representative(s)."
Arkova is the daughter of Alexey Arkov. Dalloul is the son of Ahmed Dalloul.