Going High Tech

by Jeannine Gage

At Lyman High and Milwee Middle schools, the Technology Student Association (TSA) is much more than a club that offers opportunities for kids to compete. 

Through TSA, students work together to design, build, code, communicate, and find solutions to problems.

Both schools racked up big wins at the association’s state and national competitions this year. TSA is a nationwide organization for middle- and high-school students involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities. More than 300,000 students across the country are members.

Over the summer, Lyman brought home national championship titles in two categories – Animatronics and Fashion Design and Technology – and competed in numerous others. Milwee won the state middle school title and then finished in the top 10 nationally in several categories – including a second-place win in Off the Grid.

Lisa Fleming, a TSA volunteer and president of Lyman TSA Connect, says there is a strong bond between the schools’ programs. Lyman TSA Connect is a nonprofit founded by a group of parents to support the school’s technology students.

“The majority of Lyman’s TSA students are introduced to it at Milwee,” says Lisa, whose daughter Mary is a member of Lyman’s club.

Adity Gandhi’s daughter Anuva and son Ansh are members of the club, as well. She says being part of the team has been good for both, especially Anuva.

“It has really built her confidence and made her more social,” says Adity. “These students are problem solvers. They work together to figure out each person’s strengths  and then use those to succeed. They help and support each other, always.”

Lyman senior Ophelie Russell, 17, joined TSA when she was a student at Milwee. She knew little about the organization but quickly became immersed in its opportunities, including serving as her club’s president in seventh and eighth grades.

The project that cemented her love for TSA and STEM involved developing a prototype medical device inspired by conversations with AdventHealth professionals about problems with infusion pumps.

“I had no idea I’d be interested in any of this stuff,” says Ophelie, “but that project really stuck with me and made me want to continue.”

This Team Can’t Be Broken

At Lyman, Ophelie is part of both teams that won national awards. The Animatronics team (made up of Ophelie, Anuva, Miguel Zamora, and Callie Wallace) won first place for a project designed to be an interactive children’s exhibit about the Oregon Trail, narrated by a talking scarecrow.

Behind the presentation was a sophisticated combination of engineering, mechanics, pneumatics, programming, design, storytelling, and documentation. However, during transport to the convention, a critical pneumatics component broke. With mere days before the project’s final presentation, Lyman students turned to their TSA Instagram network for assistance. Fortunately, another Florida chapter had the needed part and was able to help in the nick of time.

“It’s not just about the competition,” says Ophelie. “It’s a community. Yes, you compete with one another, but you can also help each other out and socialize and have fun.”

Fashion That Is On Trend

The Fashion Design and Technology team (made up of Ophelie, Raven Stroupe, and Charlotte Miller) came in first for their project, titled The Cage of Societal Standards.

The students’ creation, an eye-catching skirt that resembles a cage, illustrated how STEM lessons can come alive through creativity, engineering, design, 3D printing, documentation, and presentation. Ophelie modeled the skirt at the national convention.

At Milwee, teacher and TSA Club sponsor Carol Unterreiner credits teamwork, preparation, and family support for the program’s success.

“The students focused heavily on creating top-tier entries for their competitions, collaborating effectively within their teams to complete projects on time,” she says.

Austin Lynch, a freshman at Lyman, was an active member of TSA at Milwee and plans to be just as involved in Lyman’s club.

“TSA has taught me so much,” says Austin. “I walked into this and had no idea how to use computer-aided design or how physics works, but now I’ve done all these cool things and learned a lot.”