Naselle science students shine at nationals: Robot experts place sixth in nation

Published 10:19 am Friday, July 5, 2024

ATLANTA, Ga. — Naselle students showed the depth of their science education one more time at the national Skills USA competition.

Alia Lebovitz and Lewis Hoff placed sixth in the robotics automation division and Derek Suomela was 15th in industrial motor control. All three are Class of 2024 members who graduated from Naselle High School last month.

The trio traveled to Atlanta with coach Ron Wright and chaperone Lisa Bartel, who is Lebovitz’ mother.

While there they linked up with Dixie Kolditz of Wahkiakum County, who traveled to Atlanta to scope out the competition and meet with Washington state Skills USA leaders to talk about fundraising, increasing student participation and small business entrepreneurship.

The Naselle students had some early morning starts and some curveballs thrown their way during the trip, which involved tests and timed practical demonstrations in their disciplines. One of the first was an extensive airport search of Hoff’s luggage where he had packed game components.

The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta was staffed by 2000 industry volunteers who coordinated more than 100 disciplines over a four-day period. The creations included welding sculptures, video game development and teams of three trades — carpenter, electrician and plumber — building mini houses on the fly.

Wright commended all three students for their performances, noting that Suomela was especially good adapting his approach when confronted with challenges.

The coach noted the robot arm which will be used in next year’s competition costs $45,000, which is way out of Naselle’s budget, but he will be looking for outside funding for a training component which costs much less and will give students the opportunity to simulate the experience.

He was impressed watching students from other schools tackle the video game design component and said there would likely be a lot of interest locally. “I hope to pursue doing this event as well,” Wright said. “It will fit nicely into the computer science curriculum since it encourages the use of advanced programming concepts in a meaningful way.”

During their off time, the students traded state pins with competitors from all over the United States and Guam and also visited the Atlanta aquarium.

Washington was well represented with 11 medalists awarded to students finishing in the top three places, including Keara Burns, a senior from Aberdeen High School, who was national gold medalist in Residential and Commercial Appliance Technology. Burns won three consecutive state titles in the discipline. Four Rochester students earned silver medals in use of drones and robotics. There were 17 state students placing in the top 10 in their disciplines and 53 earning the Skill Point Award, recognizing their proficiency in trades.