In their third year of dominating the competition at local and state Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement events, the MESA team from Jason Lee Middle School ended another successful season with a win at the national competition in Ogden, Utah.
The win was the culmination of many months of competition and hard work. In March, students Tyler Bacon, James Hess, Samuel Sparkman and Cody Womack competed in the Southwest Washington MESA regional competition at Washington State University Vancouver and were chosen to advance to the state competition in Redmond, Washington. There, the team won first place for the third year in a row, advancing them to nationals, where they claimed the title in the Prosthetic Arm Challenge.
The challenge tasks students with designing a prosthetic for children in developing countries. Teams are scored in several areas. At the national MESA competition, the Jason Lee team scored 48.5 points out of 50 for their design efficiency. “This means that their arm was produced at a very minimal cost without sacrificing the functional worth or quality,” said Washington State University Vancouver interim MESA Director Debbie Blas.
The team also placed second in oral presentation and technical display and first in distance accuracy relay and object relocation.
The team’s MESA advisers are Jason Lee teachers Suzie Womack and Susan Lindenmeyer.
MESA offers a nationally recognized academic development program that supports STEM education and equity for students. Its mission is to provide a pathway to college and careers in the STEM fields for traditionally underrepresented students.