Two Holy Cross Academy seniors won third place honors overall in the eighth annual Air Force Research Laboratory Challenge Competition at the Griffiss Institute in Rome. Maggie Cummings and Kevin Lohr, together with HCA math teacher Michael Schepis attended the week-long STEM event during spring break last week.
Teams from eight Central New York schools, including HCA, Oriskany, Westmoreland, New York Mills, Proctor of Utica, Brookfield, Frankfort-Schuyler, and Central Valley Academy competed to solve technical problems, with opportunities to attend lectures and demonstrations and work with hands-on projects. This year, the students worked on cyber security challenges and were judged on the creativity of their approach, whether their solutions achieved the goals and the clarity of their presentation.
Both Cummings and Lohr received new iPads as prizes.
“I appreciated how the program gave students a chance to think outside the box on questions similar to what professionals encounter in the real world,” said Schepis. “They were able to collaborate on open-ended challenges and work as a team. It’s really a unique opportunity we have here.”
“We’re so proud of Maggie and Kevin who were able to win third place competing against much larger schools,” said Holy Cross Academy Principal Teri Maciag. “It’s wonderful to have this excellent educational opportunity nearby.”
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