NEWBURG, Md. — Piccowaxen Middle School students are making waves in STEM and creativity, with standout victories in both Maryland MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) and Destination Imagination (DI) competitions. Their achievements have earned them state and global-level recognition as they prepare for upcoming competitions.
Piccowaxen’s MESA teams achieved major success at the regional competition held April 11 at North Point High School, earning top placements across multiple STEM challenges. The winning teams will advance to the MESA statewide competition on Saturday, May 4, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. The showcase brings together students from across the state to present their engineering, design and problem-solving projects.
Individual Piccowaxen teams placed as follows:
- National Engineering Design Competition (NEDC) – First place: Elise Jennings, Teagan Rooney, and Lillian Merkle
- Planetary Lander – First place: Evelyn Bedell, Raelyn Welch, Safia Boubertakh, and Mahi Sharma
- Wearable Technology – First place: Elsie Bowling, Lauren Eyster, Bryson Sherman, and Ayden Zeolla
- Community Clean Up – Second place: Jace Williams, Darien Richardson, Andrew Persaud, and Nicholas Williams
Meanwhile, the school’s DI team, the PICCO Pioneers of the PBJ Planet, earned first place at the Maryland state tournament held March 15 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. To qualify for the state event, teams must place among the top four in their challenge area at a regional competition. The regional event, held last month, featured more than 350 students competing across various challenges.
The PICCO Pioneers also earned special recognition for achieving a perfect score of 100 out of 100 in the Instant Challenge portion of the competition—the highest among all middle-level teams in their respective challenge area.
The team will advance to Global Finals 2025, scheduled for May 22–25 in Kansas City, Missouri. The international event is the highlight of the Destination Imagination season, bringing together top teams from around the world to compete in creativity- and innovation-based challenges. Team members include Hailey Cook, Khloe Hill, Landry James, Lileah Metz and Charlie Schaecher. The students were recently recognized by the Charles County Board of Commissioners for their achievement.
This is an example of how educators inspire and empower students every day by creating opportunities that spark curiosity, build confidence and leave lasting memories. With support from teachers, parents and club sponsors, students continue to thrive in high-level competitions that prepare them for success in STEM, the arts and beyond.
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