Following a science-based curriculum pathway led five Brandywine High School students to walk away with first place in the nation’s top STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) competition, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, beating out more than 1,000 other high school teams from across the United States.
Arun Krishnamurthy, Anand John, Thomas Baer, Noah Fake and Gabe Pust created a low-cost alternative to an interface box that allows people with disabilities to more easily operate household appliances.
For their efforts, the Brandywine team brought home the $100,000 top prize for the school, plus another $10,000 awarded by Samsung employees who did their own independent judging.
“The students were all graduating seniors who went through a three-course engineering pathway that started with their freshman year and continued through their junior year,” explains their engineering teacher, Judson Wagner. “In their senior year, they were able to work on their project independently.”
The big win has another payoff for Brandywine High too: All the buzz has incentivized younger students to enter the pathways program, Wagner says.
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