Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) announced that this summer, students from Lightridge High School participated in the Technology Student Association (TSA) national conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to LCPS, Lightridge High School students competed in over 40 STEM-focused events at the TSA national conference. These events challenge participants’ design, problem-solving, and innovation skills. The students representing the school included Rebecca Lee, Daniel Critelli, Dylan Ammann, Chase Thoden, Caleb Dunn, Santhosh Sekar, Moe Htet Win, Nikhil Doma, and Joseph Nazari. They competed in categories such as Architectural Design, Drone Challenge (UAV), Dragster Design, Technology Bowl, and On-Demand Video. “Chase Thoden and Caleb Dunn earned first place in Technology Problem Solving,” said LCPS in a news release. They applied creativity and collaboration to real-world scenarios against 247 other high schools.
Lightridge’s participation aligns with LCPS’s Instructional Framework that emphasizes deeper learning and authentic experiences to prepare students for college and careers. Through TSA involvement, students enhance critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills while exploring STEM opportunities beyond high school. Support from educators, families, and community partners enables these experiences.
The Technology Student Association is a national nonprofit organization for middle and high school students engaged in STEM activities. It offers competitions, leadership opportunities, and community service to over 300,000 members nationwide. According to TSA’s mission statement: “TSA’s mission is to enhance personal development, leadership, and career skills through intracurricular activities and competitions.” Founded as the American Industrial Arts Student Association in 1958 before becoming TSA in 1988; it continues preparing students for high-skill careers while promoting technical learning and leadership.
LCPS is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia. It provides comprehensive information on its operations including calendars; school hours; parent resources; administrative contacts; detailed enrollment data; achievement data through District & School Profiles covering demographics; graduation rates; SOL pass rates (Standards of Learning); standardized test scores; federal accountability metrics. Virginia’s School Quality Profiles complement these reports by offering annual snapshots & multi-year trends on student achievement; college & career readiness; school safety & teacher quality. LCPS is led by Superintendent Aaron Spence & governed by an elected School Board responsible for policy-making & strategic planning.
