W.A. Perry Middle School celebrated its national recognition in aerospace education at its “Lift OFF” event, honoring the school’s selection as the 2026 National Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) School of the Year and sixth-grader Peyton Talton as the 2026 National ACE Student of the Year.
U.S. Air Force pilot Col. Walter L. Watson (USAF-Retired)
The school and student were recognized at a special ceremony held Friday morning at Bolden Stadium. The ceremony began with skydivers landing in the stadium, and the keynote speaker was retired U.S. Air Force pilot Col. Walter L. Watson (USAF-Retired), who flew the legendary SR-71 spy plane.
2026 National ACE Student of the Year Peyton Talton is pictured with former SR-71 pilot Col. Walter L. Watson (USAF-Retired) (center) and her parents: Quintel(left) and Phylecia Talton (right).
Col. Watson, a graduate of W. A. Perry Middle, made aviation history as the first and only African American to fly the SR-71 Blackbird, flyng at altitudes above 80,000 feet and speeds exceeding Mach 3. He has received numerous military and national awards was inducted into the Richland One Hall of Fame in 2018.
The awards recognize the school and Talton for the 2025–2026 school year. W.A. Perry was chosen for its implementation of the Civil Air Patrol’s ACE program, which connects classroom learning with aviation, space, leadership, teamwork and career readiness. The school integrates ACE with its BLAST Aerospace Magnet Program.
2026 National ACE Student of the Year Peyton Talton is pictured with former SR-71 pilot Col. Walter L. Watson (USAF-Retired)
Talton’s award recognizes her academic achievement, leadership and interest in aerospace and STEM. She is involved in BLAST, serves as a student ambassador and participates in the National Junior Beta Club. The award announcement also cites her first-place finish in the sixth-grade science fair and her participation in NASA Astro Camp.
The event also showcased the partnerships behind the school’s aerospace programming. A previous ACE Lift-Off festival at W.A. Perry drew more than 250 attendees and included Boeing, American Airlines, the Tuskegee Airmen, the South Carolina Historical Aviation Society, South Carolina Rocketry, the South Carolina State Museum, Benedict College and University of South Carolina engineering departments.
The ACE program, run by the Civil Air Patrol, uses aerospace themes to bring together academics, character education and physical fitness. Its 2025–2026 program reached 104,570 kindergarten-through-sixth-grade students nationwide.