State MESA champions head to nationals — ECHS

A group of students from Early College High School are preparing to take their engineering talents to the national stage after earning first place at the Oregon MESA Engineering Challenge.

Their project is called C.O.S.M.O - Collaborative Observing Social Management Object. It is a collaborative device for fostering social connection between children with special needs.

Team GTW, composed of Andrew Curtis, Mia Curtis, Jonathan Beckett Lush and Melody Ferch captured the state title this spring and will soon travel to Baltimore, Maryland, to represent Oregon at the National Engineering Design Competition (NEDC).

Their achievement is the result of months of collaboration, creativity and perseverance.

Overcoming unique challenges

“This year brought unique challenges for our team,” said their advisor. “As seniors, they were balancing high school classes, college coursework, extracurricular activities and life outside of school. Despite busy schedules, they continued to meet, problem-solve and refine their design until they created a solution that impressed judges at every level.”

Expanding opportunities in STEM

The competition is part of MESA, which stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science and Achievement. Founded at the University of California, Berkeley, MESA was created to expand opportunities in STEM fields for students who have historically been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.

In Oregon, MESA has been creating those opportunities since 1985, when Renee Anderson established the state’s MESA program. Today, MESA supports students across Oregon by providing access to hands-on learning experiences, mentorship and engineering challenges that encourage innovation and real-world problem-solving.

Beyond the competition

For Team GTW, the experience has been about much more than competition.

Through long nights of testing ideas, overcoming setbacks and working together to improve their design, the students developed skills that will serve them far beyond the classroom. Their success demonstrates the power of collaboration, critical thinking and persistence. Qualities that are essential for future engineers, scientists and innovators.

Now, the team has an opportunity to showcase those skills on a national stage.

Congratulations Team GTW, we wish you the best of luck as they compete against the nation’s top student engineers and continue inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.