Mary Beth Laychak has empowered hundreds of Hawaii’s youth to reach for the stars through her work at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
Combining her love of astronomy and public outreach, Laychak, 42, gets to work at her dream job every day as the director of communications and community engagement at CFHT.
“During undergrad, I was always the only one to volunteer to talk to classes, and I enjoyed it every time,” Laychak said. “Never in a million years did I think this would be my job. When I went to school, there really wasn’t a specific job in astronomy for people who enjoyed outreach, engagement and education.”
Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce later today will give Laychak the 24th ATHENA Leadership Award, which is given to people who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to their community, profession and advancement of women.
One example of this commitment is her passion for running the Maunakea Scholars program, an innovative astronomy outreach program for Hawaii public high school students.
Laychak and former CFHT Executive Director Doug Simons developed Maunakea Scholars after realizing Hawaii students did not have many opportunities to find mentorships within the astronomy community.
Participating students must choose a topic and develop a proposal that they hope will be chosen for allocated time at one of the world-class telescopes on the summit of Maunakea.
“The goal is to learn through doing. Students have pick a topic of interest and do their own research that will hopefully give them time with a telescope,” Laychak said. “Many programs have students working with someone else’s data, but through Maunakea (Scholars), students are the ones driving the research. “
On Tuesday, 12 Waiakea High School students were awarded telescope time for their proposals.
At the end of this school year, Maunakea Scholars will have worked with 1,200 students, with over 258 earning telescope time since its inception in 2015.
“We didn’t necessarily start the program to create hundreds of astronomers, but to empower them to do science and learn more about something that interests them,” Laychak said. “If they do choose the astronomy, or other STEM paths, they may have more opportunities for internships and may be interested in returning home for full time work after college.”
Laychak, who has spent 17 years on the island, has seen many students feel empowered through Maunakea Scholars’ hands-on learning experiences, regardless of the outcome.
“Students see that they can ask big questions, research and utilize STEM in real life,” Laychak said. “There is a concentrated effort at the facilities to ensure high school students in Hawaii have as much telescope as I request for them. This does not exist anywhere else in the world.”
Through her position at CFHT, Laychak serves schools in North Hawaii and often partners with teachers and school administrators.
Laychak also works with organizations for events such as donation drives for the Hawaii Diaper Bank, or food distribution days with The Hawaii Island Food Basket.
“What I love about my job is that it’s never the same two days in a row. I could be talking to students in elementary or graduate school. Then, the next day, I’m working on a project that engages the community,” Laychak said. “We always try to look for the current needs in the community where we can utilize our skills or resources at CFHT to meet those needs.”
Even in her personal time, Laychak strives to improve Hawaii Island, according to Simons, her former boss and ATHENA nominator.
“Mary Beth is a model of community engagement and passion for helping keiki. It is her mantra to help students all around,” Simons said. “There are so many things she does quietly, and I feel, strongly, that what she does makes her more than worthy of the award. I am thrilled to see her get the notoriety she deserves.”
While she does not always acknowledge the impact she’s making on a daily basis, Laychak feels honored to have the Chamber of Commerce recognize the work she has done.
“I’m incredibly honored. The women who have won this award before me are women who make change on this island, and I have tremendous respect for that,” Laychak said. “I’m lucky to work with the people I work with, many of them younger than me, and I’m excited to see the change they create. I hope to nominate wonderful women I work with in the future.”
Laychak said she is eager to continue to serve Hawaii’s keiki and empower them to reach their goals.
“Whatever programs I work on, they will always be driven by my passion of creating a better future for keiki and helping our island community thrive,” Laychak said. “For me, the Big Island is my home, and I am optimistic about its future.”
Laychak will receive the 24th ATHENA Award today during a Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce luncheon and membership meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
