Four Tucson High Magnet School students have been named national engineering champions.
Lindsay Liebson, 18, Charles Leathers, 17, Susma Ghimire, 17, and Ernie Somoza, 16, each returned Sunday night with a first-place medal, a trophy and multiple award ribbons from the MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition at the University of Maryland, in College Park, near Washington, D.C.
Created in 1970, the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, or MESA, is open to all students from all backgrounds, though it initially was designed as a college-preparation program aimed at increasing the number of college-eligible students among ethnic minorities, low-income students and first-generation Americans.
The local students designed and built a trebuchet, an ancient device that uses a counterweight to sling a projectile. The design helped the team win this year's regional and state MESA competitions.
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Tucson High's winning team included adviser Sheila Marquez, a science teacher, and Leonard Vance, a Raytheon Missile Systems engineer.
"They are very dedicated, enthusiastic students with a love for learning," Marquez said of the students.
