A team of students from St. Raphael School, Hamilton, channeled its inner MacGyver Nov. 24 to win first place for an ingenious design of a brace to support over 990 pounds. The young competitors bested five opponents in the middle school category of the 2015 New Jersey Technology Student Association Leadership Conference held in The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and their high score also surpassed 16 of the 17 competing high schools in the annual contest.

The group of six students was tasked to make a structure of simple materials to withstand compression testing; the challenge included documenting the design process, drawings and teamwork notes in a test of the students’ science, technology, engineering and math skills. The prize-winning two-ounce, six-inch structure was constructed with popsicle sticks, rubber bands and cardboard, held together by masking tape and hot glue.

St. Raphael teachers Jessie Stafford and Remi Cruz accompanied the students to the competition and noted the project promoted teamwork and the understanding of scientific principles.

“The size of our school is not reflective of our ability to provide a quality academic experience,” said Stafford, the school’s science teacher. “Competing against schools that are twice our size shows our students the significance of their Catholic education.”

Cruz, chief technology officer in St. Raphael, added, “Our students demonstrated they could work effectively as a team, use resources wisely, demonstrate knowledge and solve real-world problems.”

The young competitors also weighed in on their accomplishment.

“Feeling prepared, being organized, time management and true, collaborative teamwork were critical to our success,” noted St. Raphael eighth grader Marissa Vizzoni. “We paid close attention to all design requirements which included a narrative, design illustrations and the final product. We are very proud of our success.”

“Being selected to represent St. Raphael School at the TSA Design Challenge was an honor,” said Gemma Hutton, a sixth grader. “We faced a challenge that required us to think creatively and work together as a team.”

Ryan Ulisse, a seventh grader, declared, “Cooperation and communication were very important to creating a successful final project. It was also exciting to meet and talk with students from other schools to share ideas and learn how STEM is taught at their schools. I was honored to be selected to go to TCNJ and be a part of this amazing experience.”