Montgomery, Ala. – Two weeks ago, approximately 80 of Alabama’s top students traveled to Denver, Colorado, to participate in exciting national competitions and advanced leadership workshops at the 2009 National Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference, June 28-July 2.
“Our students worked so hard to make it to nationals this year; their hard work really paid-off,” said Ben Scheierman, Alabama’s TSA State Director. “This year we had a total of nine students to win Top Ten national awards, and for a second time in the past three years, a student from Alabama was selected to serve as a National TSA officer!”
JaMichael James, a senior at Montgomery’s Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, was elected by his peers as the 2009-2010 National TSA Sergeant-at-Arms. To put this in perspective, this organization currently has 150,000 members and only six students are selected each year to serve as national officers.
TSA was founded in 1976 and is devoted to preparing America’s middle and high school students for careers in technology-based occupations. This year, over 4,000 students participated in competitive events at this conference. This year’s national winners from Alabama are:
Formula 1 in Schools
· Central Baldwin Middle School (team event); Fourth Place
Flight Challenge
· Whit Patrick – Fairhope Middle School; Seventh Place
Problem Solving
· Central Baldwin Middle School (team event); Fifth Place
Structural Challenge
· Central Baldwin Middle School (team event); Tenth Place
Technology Transfer Challenge
· Pizitz Middle School (team event); Seventh Place
TSA Cup: Marine Design Challenge
· Central Baldwin Middle School (team event); Second Place
Desktop Publishing
· Christian Manuel – Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School; Ninth Place
Flight Endurance
· Scott Nagy – Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School; First Place
Structural Engineering
· Eduardo Bello and Reese Clark – Decatur High School; Ninth Place
Currently, Alabama has 2,200 members who enjoy the many benefits this organization offers. Other special TSA awards earned by Alabama students and teachers this year are:
Alabama Advisor of the Year (middle school) – Tony Ferguson, Columbiana Middle School
Alabama Advisor of the Year (high school) – Steve Ballard, Brewbaker Magnet High School
Alabama Distinguished Alumni of the Year – Anton Jackson, Huntingdon College
National TSA Honor Society
· Christopher Roberts – Athens High School
· Robert Thompson – Athens High School
· JaMichael James – Brewbaker Magnet High School
· Joshua Posey – Brewbaker Magnet High School
· Michael Benton – Brewbaker Magnet High School
National TSA Gold Achievement Award
· Courtney Oliver, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School
· Destenie Ray, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School
· JaMichael James, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School
· Joshua Posey, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School
· Scott Nagy, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School
Alabama’s career and technical education (CTE) programs offer students opportunities to participate in seven different student organizations including TSA. Currently, one out of every two high school students in Alabama participates in a CTE program. These students explore career options in more than 300 courses, earn advanced diplomas and industry-recognized credentials, and earn college credit while still in high school.
To learn more about Alabama TSA or any of the other educational opportunities offered by Alabama’s CTE programs, contact TSA State Director, Ben Scheierman, at (334) 242-9569 or visit www.tsaweb.org.