The film "Hidden Figures" tells the previously little known tale of how African American women played a critical role in the Space Race. It's a story that's inspired Wareham High School student Jasmine Black who recently earned the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists Award of Excellence.

Jasmine, a freshman, will attend the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders, an annual event held in Boston this year from June 29 to July 1.The congress is a three-day affair where leading STEM students from across the country can learn more about careers and innovations in science and technology.

Jasmine cited the movie as part of her interest in attending the event.

“There are going to be astronauts and engineers there, and I’d like to meet them in person,” she explained. “It’s good program to be involved in. If I go, I might find something really interesting.”

She’s not afraid to take opportunities where she finds them. A former Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Spirit Award winner, Jasmine was a member of the middle school’s STEAM Academy, which promotes hands-on scientific learning. She says that her favorite project was creating a cranberry bog.

“Everything was tied together - in science we learned how the cranberry plants grow. In math we studied the dimensions of the cranberry bogs. In the humanities we learned marketing and other writing. It was interesting to build the bog with our own hands.”

The award, according to the National Academy’s website, is given to students “based on their academic achievement, leadership potential and passion for science and technology.”

The talented teen is also a dual-enrollment student. She spends half her day at Wareham High School and the other half at Bridgewater State University. She has previously done residential science programs at Bridgewater State University and Mass Maritime. “I don’t know what I want to do yet,” she says, “but I like the idea of helping others.”