Florida State University STARS Alliance students recently spent three days in Orlando partnering with Florida’s chapter of the Technology Student Association (TSA), an organization of high school and middle school students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
TSA’s mission is to foster personal growth, leadership, and opportunities in technology, innovation, design, and engineering. Nationally, TSA’s membership includes over 190,000 middle and high school students with over 2,000 chapters in 49 states. One hundred percent of TSA members are likely to graduate high school and 75 percent are expected to attend college. While the STARS Alliance is a national organization, Florida State is the only STARS chapter in the state that has formed a partnership with Florida TSA for STEM outreach. In that role, FSU STARS attended and led sessions at TSA’s annual State Leadership Conference
Worskhops presented were:
1. How to interview and get the position
2. Public Speaking 101
3. Marketing your chapter using Social Media
4. Digitial Footprint – what are you leaving behind?
In addition, the FSU students ran leadership groups and executed leadership challenges.
“FSU STARS has built a reputation for excellent k-12 outreach; this exists with TSA, across the state, and in Leon county,” Ebe Randeree, Asssociate Dean and FSU STARS advisor said. “Our 6 year partnership with TSA has recruited mnay students to FSU STEM programs.”
The partnership has been mutually beneficial for the University. The outreach helps to attract some of the best students from around the state. According to STARS student Russ Hill Jr., “the partnership with TSA is very important to us in our goal to recruit more STEM students.”
This was Freshman Kelby Mahoney’s first interaction with TSA; she said that, “It is truly an honor to be able to spend time with students who are truly devoted to the work that they do. It was an eye opening experience and I cannot wait to do it again.”
FSU STARS members that participated were:
Danielle Cuccaro (UG – ICT)
Michael Helfrich (UG – IT)
Russ Hill (UG – IT)
Courtney Lisenbee (UG –
Kelby Mahoney (UG – IT)
Milton Ramer (UG – IT)
Chelsea Schneider (UG – ICT)
Marissa Monivis (UG – ICT Alumna)
