WHS TechMates Earn Two State Champion Best of Show Awards at OTEEA State Conference

The Westlake High School Technology & Engineering (T & E) Department participated in the Ohio Technology & Engineering Educators Association (OTEEA) state conference school exhibits competition last weekend, held in the massive Lausche Building of the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus last weekend.  The event was held in conjunction with the increasingly popular MakerX festival.

Students of the Westlake High School T & E Department garnered two state champion titles for their “Best of Show” awards in 2 different technology categories at the Ohio Technology & Engineering Educators Association school exhibits competition held in Columbus last weekend.

They also added a “Best of Show” runner-up award.  Winning a state champion title for their “Best of Show” award were the following:

The senior team of JACOB MEYER, MICKEY HAMILA, ARYA KIRPEKAR, & DREW MATHER for their “Opportunity Zones House” and energy efficient model home design in the Construction/Architecture Technology category.

Junior ALI ABOUMERHI for his Pipe Vise drawing and 3D printed project in the Computer Generated Technology category.

Winning a runner-up Best of Show award for his Drill Press Vise drawing and 3D printed project in the Computer Generated Technology category was Sophomore ETHAN WARING.

Winning a first place award in the Engineering Technology category under the invention/innovation division was junior ARYA KIRPEKAR for her “W Shop” entrepreneur project.

Winning a second place award in the Construction/Architecture Technology category under the design/drawing division was the team of TIM GERENT, JOHN MUDRYK, DANNY KEENAN & SHANE BURICH for their “Opportunity Zones House” and energy efficient model home design.

Winning the “Award of Merit” ribbon were the following:

Senior JACOB MEYER and juniors JOHN MUDRYK & DANNY KEENAN for their “USS Cod Visitor Center” design in the Construction/Architecture Technology category.

Sophomore SIA BAVISHI for her “Smart Park” entrepreneur project in the Engineering Technology category under the invention/innovation division.

To cap off a successful day, the WHS Technology & Engineering Department received the runner-up “Best of Conference” award in the Outstanding Technology Display category.

Students from around the state entered hundreds of projects in 9 different Technology categories.

The school exhibits competition was part of the third annual MakerX festival, which featured over 80 exhibitors from the region sharing their passion for creating with technology. The event included robotics of all types, competitive drone flying, video game and virtual reality projects, digital graphics, 3D printing, digitally designed crafts, high-tech transportation, sci-fi themed cosplay, inventions and entrepreneurship.

“MakerX provides a fun, high-energy environment to bring together people of all ages, interests, and skill levels to spend a day interacting around creating with technology” notes Bill Ball, one of the event planners and a Scholar in Residence at Capital University. “It’s a chance to see close up the awesome things people in our region are doing with new technologies–from schools and universities to inventors, hobbyists, start-ups, and established corporations. It’s all about one-on-one interaction in a festival atmosphere that is organized entirely by volunteers.”

Evelyn Van Til, also a planner of the event and Columbus Community Director for Tech Talent South, adds “MakerX is a unique tech event that inspires innovation across verticals and industries–so you see people creating solutions in VR and healthcare, gaming and the arts, robotics and coding, digital design and transit. It’s a truly remarkable event connecting STEM education, startups, leaders in tech and the larger community.”