FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 19, 2018
Media Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
703-683-9312; jnagurka@acteonline.org
Maryland Students Wins ACTE National Student Trophy Design Contest
Juniors in Mount Hebron High School Win National Award, Prize for School
Alexandria, VA – Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Mount Hebron High School juniors Shreya Santhanagopalan and Rashi Kejriwal as the national student trophy design winners in its third annual student trophy design contest. Shreya and Rashi are juniors at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland. They are taught by David Lucania, a technology education educator at Mt. Hebron. The contest was sponsored by ACTE and Stratasys, Ltd., a manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems.
Since 1954, ACTE has awarded those who have made exemplary contributions in the field of career and technical education (CTE). The student trophy design contest is a competition for students to design the 3D trophy to be used to award the national winners at the association’s annual VISION conference. This year’s conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas with roughly 4,000 educators, administrators and CTE industry stakeholders in attendance. Shreya and Rashi’s submission was selected by ACTE’s Board of Directors out of 438 entries from students all across the country. In addition to having their design used to create this year’s trophies, Shreya and Rashi will each receive a $500 scholarship and Mount Hebron High School will receive a free one-year lease of a 3D printer, courtesy of Stratasys, Ltd. ACTE will also provide Shreya and Rashi and Mr. Lucania with a trip to San Antonio to be honored at the awards banquet.
Rashi and Shreya are passionate and hardworking students interested in a career in the engineering field. They pursue their interest in engineering by engaging in competitions and participating in Project Lead the Way classes. Both students are also actively involved in clubs in their school, including the Society of Women in Engineering and STEM Engineering club. Rashi and Shreya also won the 2018 Project Lead the Way Engineering Design Competition at the national-level by submitting a research project. Their hobbies include traditional Indian dancing and math. They hope to inspire future generations to join the STEM field and encourage them to achieve their dreams.
“The Student Trophy Design Contest has successfully helped promote CTE classrooms all across the country for the next generation of American innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more,” said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson. “Rashi and Shreya’s outstanding achievements, and their passion for CTE, are further evidence of the critical role high-quality CTE plays in maintaining and growing America’s role in the global economy. We are so proud of Rashi and Shreya and their accomplishments, and we are honored to have them as public ambassadors for all that today’s CTE has to offer.”
Jesse Roitenberg, Stratasys National Education Manager shared his thoughts on the contest over the years, “Stratasys is pleased to partner with ACTE to create this contest for the students. It is clear that the educators are doing an outstanding job immersing the students in Additive Manufacturing and Computer Aided Drafting. The trophy entries we have judged over the past 3 years are phenomenally designed and could not be created by any other manufacturing process.”
Rashi, Shreya, ACTE and Stratasys are available for interviews upon request. Rashi and Shreya’s trophy design and photo of them with their teacher is included below.
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About ACTE: The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
