CHAMPION - After several successful wins at the state level, students from the Trumbull Career and Technical Center's Professionals of America received honors at the national level in Chicago.
Maureen Martin, information technology instructor, said Zachary Wilcox, a junior information technology student from Newton Falls, placed fourth in the nation out of 100 students in his category, Fundamentals of Web Design.
"It is an amazing accomplishment. It's very rare that a student qualifies for nationals as a junior, let alone places that high in that caliber of competition at the national level,'' she said.
The tests Wilcox competed in were very competitive on web design in which students were given a set of parameters to work within to create a page. Wilcox placed third in state competition to qualify for nationals.
Also competing was John Bagnola's computer animation team, which placed ninth at nationals against about 40 other teams after three video teams from TCTC were successful at state. One video production team placed first in state.
Bagnola said this is the first time in the history of the Business Professionals of America that one class at the same school had students in all three categories competing. The teams were computer animation, broadcast and video production.
"We were lucky to move on in one, let alone three It's a good conclusion to a culmination of great successes in sending over 100 students to state and 50 students to nationals,'' he said.
Bagnola, an 11-year multi-media teacher, said students used creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
"The competition helps prepare students to communicate in college and work,'' he said.
The state of Ohio Office of Education has emphasized teamwork in high school, so the multi-media classes set out to prove that TCTC has the beast teams and good collaboration, he said.
"These are great results. It proves hard work pays off," Bagnola said.
Each team spent more than 100 hours on their projects at school and at home.
Bagnola said fundraising paid off as the students during the trip watched a Cubs game, visited the Willis Tower, the Navy Pier and new Trump Towers, and saw White Sox Stadium.