By SIMONE YU
STAFF WRITER
Wilson’s engineering team, Design Challenge Team, competed at El Camino College on Apr. 13.
The Design Challenge Team of three members designed a modern school desk, brainstormed and created features, presented the project and created the approved product. The team ended up winning third place out of seventeen teams, qualifying for State, and each member received a seventy-five dollar Amazon gift card. This event marks the third year in a row that Wilson has qualified for State.
According to engineering teacher Justin Ro, the team’s hard work and diligence lead to its success.
“I was not at all surprised that the kids [did so well], as I could see how much hard work and team effort they used to prepare for the competition,” Ro said. “[After] qualifying for State three out of four years, I hope that this can be a continued tradition, and I am [extremely] proud of them.”
Despite the team’s success, member senior Alton Lo hopes the trio can improve for the next round.
“[Although we did place] pretty high, I feel we could have done better because we made a lot of mistakes dimensioning and using our cat files,” Lo said. “I hope we can practice reviewing our presentation work, put twice the effort into our preparation and aim for first.”
Ultimately, member freshman Sabrina Lee believes the team’s weeks of research and dedication lead to great results.
“[By having] many practices starting the month before, [our team] was well prepared for the competition. The deadlines were a bit stressful during the competition because we needed a lot of time to brainstorm, but since [we had prepared efficiently], I believe we did really well,” Lee said. “When the judges announced that we got third, I was thrilled and [practically skipped up on stage] with my team to accept our reward.”
The Design Challenge Team will compete in State at California State University, Bakersfield, on May 4.