Technology club encourages students
County middle schoolers garner multiple awards
June 7, 2008
By Christina M. Mitchell/staff -- Staunton News Leader
Robby Turner built a circuit; Austin Shumate a hovercraft. Delaney Rhodus and her team explained how CAT scans can detect strokes.
So, what do they have in common?
All three local teens earned top awards for their work at the Technology Student Association's state convention last month. Altogether, Augusta County middle schoolers scored more than two dozen awards at the competition, earning the division a fourth place overall finish that also included a two-time state champion -- Kathleen Veer, a Stuarts Draft eighth-grader who placed first for her work in both digital photography and graphic design.
"It was just fun playing around with the computer stuff and making it look good," Kathleen said.
It's the second year in a row that Augusta County middle schoolers have been recognized as among the best in the state at TSA's annual Technosphere. Students spend months preparing for the competition, developing their ideas and turning them into full-scale projects that represent a range of occupational interests such as engineering, architecture, medicine and computer science.
Some of the students involved said they joined TSA because of an interest in one of those fields. Others had heard of the potential to earn scholarships; and some said they just enjoyed the chance to build something new. But regardless of what caught their interest, this is not -- as Kathleen said -- a nerds-only club.
"I want to be an engineer, so I've got to practice up," she shared.
Augusta County technology teachers said they hope the club gives students a glimpse of the possibilities available to them after high school.
"It's an opportunity for them to learn more about technology, and how it impacts their lives, and how they can be part of it in the future," said Vincent Banks, who coaches Stuarts Draft Middle School's TSA.
The Stuarts Draft team narrowly lost a chance to bring home another first-place trophy for their presentation on the medical technology used to treat arrhythmia, a heart condition. Eighth-grader Heidi Mears got the idea to study arrhythmia after her grandmother received a pacemaker.
"I would like to be a pediatrician, so that's why I picked medical technology," she said. The judges told Heidi's team they would have earned a perfect score -- except they forgot to include a cover page on their lengthy report.
Seventh-grader Tommy Rardin said he plans to return to Technosphere next year and sweep the medical technology challenge.
"It was fun, because we almost won," he said.
Wilson Middle School scored the most awards out of the county schools, bringing home trophies for six categories and finalizing in several others.
"I did a lot better because I had the time to go back and learn from my mistakes last year," said eighth-grader Grace Day, who won second place for her prepared speech and finalized as part of the chapter team.
Grace will continue her work with TSA next year as the Valley regional president -- and the youngest student to lead the regional officer team.
It's exciting ... they think I'm mature for my age now," she said.
At Right: Wilson Middle School seventh-grader Austin Shumate demonstrates how his hovercraft won him a third place award at the state competition on May 29.
Of the projects the Wilson students designed and built, Austin Shumate had one of the most unusual. He created a small hovercraft that buzzed and spun just above the ground for nearly 22 feet.
"It's fun to do, to try and make something just hover off the ground that much," he said.
The project earned Austin a third-place finish in the transportation category.
At S. Gordon Stewart Middle School, aspiring engineer Robby Turner earned a second place in the electrical applications challenge for his work with circuits.
"I had (the idea to become an engineer) before, but since I've been doing TSA, I've really gotten into it," he said.
Though less of a builder, Samantha McKown found a place in TSA as well -- she won a third place in the communication category and finalized in medical technology.
"It's fun," she said of the club. "People give really good ideas. They whole thing is to improve the world. They're thinking of new ways to make the world a better place."
By Christina M. Mitchell/staff -- Staunton News Leader
[ close window ]