Morristown High team wins national STEM competition

From the Morristown High School Technology Student Association:

Morristown High School Students Win National STEM Competition

The Technology Student Association (TSA) held its annual conference in Orlando from June 26 to July 1, 2024, inviting delegations from across the country, as well as several international countries from Germany to South Korea, to compete in over 40 different middle- and high school STEM competitions, ranging from coding to structural design.

Recently graduated Morristown High School seniors Christopher Cioffi, Jonah Gardberg, Hanna Cochran and Graham Hatley brought home the first-place trophy for the Digital Video Production competition, where they were tasked with creating a three-minute-long high fantasy short film, which starred Hatley’s mother Leah and sister Lyla.

Winning entry: ‘The Price of Eternity’:

Last year, the team won the New Jersey level of the same competition and qualified for the national conference in Louisville, KY, where they were top-12 semifinalists, but failed to make the podium.

Seeking redemption, the team spent the whole year not only working on its project, but also running and expanding the young chapter, which had to compete with seasoned delegations that sometimes had upwards of 50 members.

The team also placed ninth overall in the On-Demand Video competition, where they were given 36 hours to create a one-minute short film at the conference. Rising junior Leah Gardberg also qualified for the conference by placing first in the New Jersey conference for the Photographic Technology competition.

The Morristown chapter thanks its advisor, Mr. Rodney Lee, parent advisor Chris Cioffi Sr., principal Mark Manning and Mrs. Pam Eschmann for their continued support of the club and look forward to next year’s competitions and conference in Nashville, Tenn.