On January 29th, six members of the Bernards High School STEM Team took first place at a competition hosted by PCTI STEM Academy in Wayne, New Jersey, after completing an engineering challenge. The team competes in multiple competitions throughout the year, and the recent victory highlights the growing success of the STEM program.
At the PCTI competition, each team was tasked with designing and building a rover prototype capable of completing a course inspired by conditions on Mars. Teams had limited time to construct their designs before navigating the route. The judges evaluated both the rover’s performance and the team’s engineering process.
Students prepared in advance by practicing engineering challenges; students are exposed to STEM challenges in the Technology and Research class as freshmen. This practice helps students strengthen problem-solving skills, learn to work under time constraints, and become familiar with the design process. Aanya Gupta ‘29, Brooke Schnabolk ‘26, Dheirya Tyagi ‘26, Mathew Todd ‘27, Preston Chen ‘27, and Daniel Richardson ‘27 were chosen to participate in the January competition, and all played vital roles.
The team members split tasks based on their strengths: Some focused on researching engineering concepts and preparing a presentation, while others brainstormed solutions or designed parts using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. This division of responsibilities allowed the team to approach the challenge efficiently, rather than struggling to keep up with new tasks. Schnabolk says, “We were able to split up the work and complete different requirements by the checkpoint times.”
The biggest challenge was crossing the course. One obstacle featured holes on the surface while another section was covered in sand, potentially trapping vehicles from advancing further. Because the rover was powered by a mousetrap mechanism, the team had to balance weight and speed to ensure the vehicle had enough force to move forward. If the rover was too heavy or the mousetrap did not generate enough power, it risked stopping before finishing the course. To further prevent the rover from getting stuck, the team focused on adding additional wheels. Although this delayed the assembly of the final prototype, Brooke Schnabolk ‘26 mentions that their “teamwork still existed under pressure.”
The team’s perseverance through limited time and terrain difficulties allowed them to adapt to unexpected drawbacks. The final rover design, nicknamed Mad Martian, triumphed over the other schools. The victory marked the team’s second consecutive victory at the PCTI competition.
Because the team includes students from different grade levels, competitions provide opportunities for newer members to learn from more knowledgeable teammates. By working alongside upperclassmen, Aanya Gupta ‘29 claims she gained a deeper understanding of the competition process.“I am a freshman; they had more experience than me.”
According to advisor Mr. Koch, the competitions challenge students to apply STEM knowledge in real-world situations. “It is a good challenge to put our STEM skills against other students across Northern NJ,” he said. After practicing in the classroom, the members use what they learned to solve problems during events.
Mr. Koch also announced that the next STEM competition will be hosted at BHS later this year, giving the team another opportunity to demonstrate their engineering skills on familiar ground.
