Students Head to StellarXplorer Nationals for the First Time in GISD History
A team of three Georgetown ISD (GISD) students has made district history by being the first to earn a coveted spot at the StellarXplorers National Competition.
Of the 388 schools across the country that entered the competition, only ten teams are moving on to the national level.
Created by the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), the StellarXplorers program inspires students to explore careers in space and other critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Competing teams must solve orbit determination, satellite design, and launch operations scenarios in a series of online rounds. Of the three GISD teams that competed this year, two concluded their season as semifinalists, a feat that only 30% of teams achieve.
And for Team East View High School Navy JROTC, their journey to the national championship continues.
“Ever since we found out we’re going to Nationals, it’s been a whirlwind,” East View Senior Ava Reed said. “So few teams actually make it this far, and I can’t believe we are one of them.”
Reed competes alongside East View seniors Tamra Naranjo and team captain Jack Cherry, coached by GISD Engineering Instructor Terri Henry. Their team is only the second NJROTC team ever to qualify for StellarXplorer Nationals.
“With just three people, we actually have a small team,” Reed said. “If you look at past national qualifiers, most have four or five. It definitely makes it harder for us to divide up tasks.”
While all prior competition rounds take place on a computer, the final challenge is different.
“We’ll have eight hours to complete our mission without any internet access,” Reed said. “And when that’s over, we finish the competition with a closed-book academic quiz.”
While some might find the intensity of the competition to be intimidating, Reed is grateful for it.
“I plan to major in mechanical engineering with a focus on aerospace next year, and StellarXplorers has given me valuable insight into what my future could look like,” Reed said. “I’ve really learned how important precision, organization and collaboration are in this field.”
As the small-but-mighty team prepares to head to nationals, their journey stands as a testament to the extraordinary things students achieve when given the opportunity.
Team East View Navy ROTC will travel to Denver from April 21–25, where they will face the nation’s best in a multi-day competition.
Learn more about StellarXplorers on their website.
