VOTE NOW: Tuscaloosa student is a finalist in a NASA contest to name next Mars rover

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A Tuscaloosa County student is now a finalist in a contest that is out of this world.

Vaneeza Rupani, a junior at Tuscaloosa County High School, is one of nine finalists in a NASA contest to name the next Mars rover. These nine finalists were selected from an initial pool of more than 28,000 essays. The name Vaneeza submitted in the "Name the Rover" essay contest is "Ingenuity."

Vaneeza Rupani is a junior at Tuscaloosa County High School.(Tuscaloosa County Schools)

"Thousands of students have shared their ideas for a name that will do our rover and the team proud," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division in Washington. "Thousands more volunteered time to be part of the judging process. Now it is the public's opportunity to become involved and express their excitement for their favorites of the final nine."

The public can now vote online for their favorite name.

The nine finalists (submission name, grade level, student name and state) are:

Endurance, K-4, Oliver Jacobs of Virginia

Tenacity, K-4, Eamon Reilly of Pennsylvania

Promise, K-4, Amira Shanshiry of Massachusetts

Perseverance, 5-8, Alexander Mather of Virginia

Vision, 5-8, Hadley Green of Mississippi

Clarity, 5-8, Nora Benitez of California

Ingenuity, 9-12, Vaneeza Rupani of Alabama

Fortitude, 9-12, Anthony Yoon of Oklahoma

Courage, 9-12, Tori Gray of Louisiana

The poll will remain open through Jan. 27 until 11:00 p.m. Central. Click on this link to vote.

After the poll closes, the nine student finalists will discuss their rover names with a panel including Glaze, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, NASA-JPL rover driver Nick Wiltsie and Clara Ma, who earned the honor of naming the Mars rover Curiosity as a sixth-grade student in 2009.

The contest will conclude in early March, when the rover’s new name, and the student behind it, are announced.