Later today, on Thursday March 25, our school’s Technology Student Association (TSA) will depart for their state competition in Orlando. They will stay there for three nights and return March 28, after a post-trip visit to Universal Studios.
TSA is a national organization centered around incorporating technology into the world. Ahead of the convention, the association gave attendees prompts in varying categories.
Our club has created projects over the course of the year, and will present them at states alongside ones made on-site, with a time limit. Attendees can choose from a variety of “events,” or contests, ranging from fashion design to children’s stories to forensic science.
The large number of themes offered to the students, around 40, provide an opportunity for all students to find an event that they will enjoy.
“No matter what you are into, you can find something that’s interesting to you,” said science teacher and club sponsor Mrs. Charity Clough. “I like the variety of competitions and the creativity involved.”
Some projects our club has been working on include sewing a villain-themed dress with a 3D aspect, writing and illustrating a children’s story, and producing music themed around America’s 250th anniversary.
With so many projects to work on, preparing for states has been time consuming leading up to the convention. Expectations require kids to work on their projects whenever they can, including during lunch, study halls, or after school.
“However they can, they try to squeeze it [time] in,” Clough said. “They’re all group projects, and that brings a lot of friendship and conflict at the same time.”
The club has grown since they went last year, with twice as many kids from Saint Stephen’s attending this year.
This will be a new experience for many, especially because of how large the state competition is compared to regionals — usually, around 2,000 participate, leading to it becoming a lot more competitive.
Last year, our participants placed within the top 10 for a majority of their events in states. Earlier this year, they snagged 3rd in regionals for two events, Digital Photography and STEM Mass Media, so they have high standards to live up to.
TSA has been especially important to the school since its creation last year due to recent developments in STEAM in our community.
Club member Marcella Clayton shared that TSA has opened doors for her. .
“[TSA] opens people to many new opportunities,” Clayton said. “I never thought I’d be doing that [creating a video for a theme], and it opened me to so many other things. It’s something that’s going to help me in the future.”
TSA helps people discover skills in brand new spheres that they never thought they would involve themselves in, and kindles a creative mindset in the process. If you see a TSA member before they leave this afternoon, make sure to wish them good luck — and next year, if you see them at the club fair, consider signing up!
