High school students take second place in statewide technology competition

The San Juan Island School District shares news about the achievements of Friday Harbor High School’s Technology Student Association at their state conference last weekend.

Placing second last weekend in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) competition at the 2022 Washington Technology Student Association (TSA) annual state conference was no small feat. 10,500 students participate and 1,500 students qualify each year. This is the second year in a row that Friday Harbor High School has placed in the top three schools in STEM events at this middle school/high school conference.

Last year the competition was virtual, but thanks to the generous support of the San Juan Public School Foundation, members of the Friday Harbor High School TSA traveled to SeaTac to compete in person at the 2022 event.

Five Friday Harbor High School students — Aaron Vliet, Robin Taylor, Isabella Vanderyacht, Josie May, and Tyler Hillman — qualified for the competition, and the team of Aaron Vliet and Robin Taylor were awarded second place for their CIM project.

For this year’s CIM challenge, Robin and Aaron designed an original 3D CAD model of an ice cream scoop and then used the 3D printers in the STEM building to make their physical prototypes and build a business model that they presented to a team of industry professionals in a judging interview. Last year, Robin placed third in Structural Design and Engineering.

Club advisor and CTE STEM teacher Sam Garson said, “These kinds of opportunities not only push our students to apply the knowledge they are gaining in their classes, but also grounds their learning, as all the numerous TSA challenges are based in real-life industry innovation and engineering challenges. It has been amazing to see how our students rise to the challenge and how well we do in competition against schools with vastly larger STEM programs, more students participating in TSA, and more resources at their disposal. We are so grateful for the support of the San Juan Public Schools Foundation.”

TSA fosters personal growth, leadership, and opportunities in technology, innovation, design, and engineering. Members apply and integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts through co-curricular activities, competitive events, and related programs. This middle school/high school program offers students the opportunity to compete and learn in STEM events ranging from fashion design to robotics and gives them the opportunity to meet local industry professionals while building valuable skills and resume experiences. TSA’s membership includes 200,000 middle and high school students in 2,000 schools spanning 48 states. They now have chapters in Puerto Rico, Germany, and Scotland as well.

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.