Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari team at the New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge pose after being announced as one of the winners in the competition. From left are MiKayla Klinger, Nolan Ryen, Sariah Mardo, Angela Vasquez and Shane Jaggers. Not pictured are Antonio Gonzales, Caden Thomas and Kaylee Brown.
Teams from Tucumcari's and San Jon's high schools were among 30 winners in the recent third annual New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge.
Each student and coach on a winning team took home $500.
Each team of up to 10 students designed and developed a project model to address a question posed by NMSU: "How would you use science, technology, engineering and math to make life better for your family, community, state or country?"
Tucumcari's team developed a WALTR system, which stands for Worksite Alarm Light Transmitter Receiver. Members of the team were Angelica Vasquez, Sariah Mardo, Kaylee Brown, Shane Jaggers, Antonio Gonzales, Nolan Ryen, Caden Thomas and MiKayla Klinger.
WALTR is a small, rechargeable alarm that can receive and transmit traditional radio signals over a 300- to 400-yard area, coach Tommy Evans said. If someone with an alarm hits an emergency button on the device, everyone with the device in that area will be alerted by a flashing light and audible alarm.
Evans said the device can be useful in sprawling work areas such as construction site, oil-drilling rigs and agricultural operations. He said a new antenna system is being developed for the device that will extend its range to 1,500 yards. Also, Evans said, a lawyer is working on filing a patent on the device.
Evans said using a traditional cellphone takes too long for many workers to alert colleagues about an emergency. The device his students developed make such alerts virtually instantaneous.
During Tucumcari Public School board meeting last week, high-school principal Nicole Bright-Lesly said Tucumcari's team impressed one STEM Challenge judge who said: "I can't believe how adult-like your team was."
"The were absolutely professional from beginning to end," Evans said. "I was really proud of them. I told them there would be fun when they're done (with the competition)."
Evans added the competition probably will lead to several students getting internships with a few of the sponsoring companies.
Tucumcari's team was sponsored by Virgin Galactic.
San Jon's Eureka team, sponsored by Raj Bandla and consisting solely of his daughter, senior Saisravya Bandla, focused on enhancing the safety of bicyclists by manufacturing AirLights, which aims to improve the safety by solving the problem of confusing signaling. AirLights use an array of LED lighting to form a lighted arrow.
Raj Bandla said Saisravya is working on refining the prototype.
San Jon was sponsored by Presbyterian Health Care Services.
Teams from New Mexico's public, private and charter high schools participated, along with judges from 22 industry partners, plus educators, volunteers and government officials.
The competition tests students' ability to use science, technology, engineering and math to solve real-world problems. New Mexico State University hosted the event, with a virtual event Dec. 10 and an in-person event Dec. 11 at the university's Corbett Center.
Led by New Mexico's Office of the Governor, the challenge was a collaboration between NMSU, Department of Public Education, Department of Workforce Solutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory and 22 industry partners in the state.
