NARROWS, Va. – A group of Narrows Elementary/Middle School students will be headed to Orlando, Florida to compete in a STEM-focused national competition.
“TSA is the Technology Student Association,” said Jennifer Shrewsbury, 6th grade teacher at Narrows Elementary-Middle School and regional TSA advisor for the Blue Ridge region. “It helps provide real skills that kids will need in the workforce. They are able to compete in 37 different competitions at the middle school level.”
The Technology Student Association is an organization focused on developing foundational professional skills for kids.
At Narrows Elementary/Middle School, a group of kids have built a community through their love for STEM.
“Every morning I go into Ms. Shrewsbury’s room, and I work on my robot,” said Jon Cottle, a student at Narrows Elementary/Middle School. “I work on this robot, making designs, making it better.”
Each year, there are regional, state, and national competitions in TSA.
This year, Narrows Elementary/Middle School had 17 students place at the state competition.
“It was kind of nerve-wracking at the same time, because I wanted to go to nationals, but it was fun working with my friends,” said Jack Buckland, a student at Narrows Elementary/Middle School.
Now, those students are headed to Orlando in June to compete at nationals.
“I’m excited to go with my friends and have a good time,” said Buckland. “I’m hoping we can place and be national winners.”
Their teacher said these kids deserve the success.
“They’ve worked very hard,” said Shrewsbury. “They have put in countless hours.”
They are also looking ahead already. They said for next year, they want to try and get more schools in the region involved in TSA.
“I want to work hard to try and get Blacksburg and Christiansburg doing TSA,” said Cottle. “That will get a lot of people in our region.”
They said if more schools get involved, it could be great for kids across the region.