9.2018
School Scene
Winter 2019

In this Issue:
  • National Impact | President Alexander King
  • Higher Education | Vice President Isabella Eleogo
  • 1, 2, 3s of Running for Office | Secretary Audrey Garoutte
  • SAME Support | Treasurer Emma Hopson
  • Ready to Compete | Reporter Benjamin Abt
  • Communication is Key | Sergeant-at-Arms Ashley Stokes
  • Deadline Approaches
National Impact
by President Alexander King
Across the country,  TSA state delegations are greatly impacting their members. Each state excels in various categories. Here is a closer look at best practices in three states; each state mentioned below is representative of a region:

  • Region 1: Pennsylvania TSA is one of the few states in TSA that has active committees with student members that assist in the operations of each committee. From Corporate Outreach to Regional Representatives, PA TSA members on these committees have a significant impact on the experiences of the members of their state association.

  • Region 2: Georgia TSA is making strides in social media engagement. It is one of the first state delegations to host a YouTube channel, featuring promotional and recap videos of Georgia TSA state conferences. This school year, Georgia TSA started an in-state only competition, in which chapters submit a brief video recapping a conference. The winning video is featured on the YouTube channel.

  • Region 5: Washington TSA has experienced substantial membership growth in recent years, thanks in part to improved communication. State officers are visiting local chapters to support current members and recruit new members.

Read more on the ways states are promoting TSA. National TSA is comprised of more than 250,000 members from state delegations across the country. Each delegation brings its own strengths to the association to form #OneTSA.
Higher Education
by Vice President Isabella Eleogo
This year, one of the main goals of the national TSA officer team is to find out how our organization increasingly can be recognized by colleges and industries across the country. In our College Awareness Research Study , each national TSA officer has met or will meet with a TSA alumnus who attends a college in the officer’s home area and a representative from the college’s STEM department.
National TSA officers are compiling the information and analyzing the results of these meetings, in an effort to make more colleges aware that TSA plays a vital role in preparing the next generation of STEM innovators and leaders with technological, communication, problem-solving, and many more workplace skills.
You, too, can help improve TSA’s college and career recognition by introducing the organization to your desired college, alma mater, and/or industry. We also hope you are taking advantage of our TSA Toolkits —such as “Tips for College and Career Interviews,” “Sample Resume,” and “Career Clusters”—to become college and career ready.
1, 2, 3 s of Running for Office
by Secretary Audrey Garoutte
One of the best ways TSA members can become more involved in the organization is by running for chapter, state, or national TSA office. It may seem daunting and possibly put you outside of your comfort zone, but running for TSA office has helped me: strengthen my leadership skills, work with a team, and make close friends. I encourage anyone who is considering running for a TSA office to do it. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

  1. Think. Think. Think. Do you want to get more students involved in TSA? Do you want to improve your state delegation? Would you like to sharpen your leadership and communications skills? Once you figure out your motives—you can determine your campaign platform and topics of focus.
  2. What matters most? Whether you are trying to decide to have your name and slogan etched on pencils or pens, or how many buttons to make—remember to prioritize. People want to get to know you and your goals. A badge ribbon will not accomplish that goal. Focus your time on writing a solid campaign speech, providing good answers to the questions you are asked, and connecting with members.
  3. Do your best. Once you get to a conference, it is easy to get swept up in the fast-paced atmosphere. Be confident. Whether or not you are successful in your candidacy, as long as you know that you did as much as you could and put forth your best effort, you should be proud of yourself, what you have accomplished, and how much you have grown as a person.

Applications are available in January 2019 for current and active TSA student members interested in running for a national TSA office. If you decide to run, are currently holding an office, or have previously held office—look back on yourself at the beginning of your term versus at the end. You may be amazed at all that you and your team have accomplished, and your own personal growth.  ­­­­­­­­­­­­
SAME Support
by Treasurer Emma Hopson
It is that time of year when competition projects are in full swing and everybody is anticipating their state conferences. Every project is detailed in its own way; customized and carefully planned. As we observe National Mentoring Month in January, we recognize the impact that mentoring has in TSA. It can be difficult to know where to start the search for a mentor. It can even be hard to find someone who is willing to give their time.

Part of what makes TSA such an amazing organization — numerous partnerships. One partnership that can help students connect with potential mentors is the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) . This organization is filled with knowledgeable professionals from many different STEM fields who are eager to help young people. And with more than 100 posts throughout the United States, Germany, and Japan—SAME can benefit TSA members around the world.

I encourage TSA state and chapter advisors, state and chapter officers, and members to reach out to their local SAME posts. With a strong partnership, students may find access to mentors, judges, and financial aid. 
Ready to Compete
by Reporter Benjamin Abt

As the TSA competition season comes to fruition and state conferences are around the corner, here are three ways to prepare :

  1. Delegate: When starting an event, especially a team event, it is easy for steps to be missed and for certain people to take over a majority of the work. Delegate the workload evenly across all members of the team, pairing participants with tasks in which they may excel, and maximizing their potential to create a successful project.
  2. Follow the Rules: It does not feel good to realize you missed a key component of your event or have been disqualified after putting in many hours of hard work. Read the competition rules, as well as the general rules, to ensure that you meet all the criteria for the event and prepare for success.
  3. Take the LEAP: As you work on your events, keep in mind the LEAP Report (high school) and LEAP Response (middle school) to consider the leadership in what you are doing. By writing down these thoughts as you work on your project, it will be much easier to create an effective LEAP Report or LEAP Response.

After competing, take a break and take in the other competitions. You may learn something new and discover challenges you want to take on next year. Competitions are an excellent time to showcase hard work. Be prepared to compete to the best of your abilities .
Communication is Key
by Sergeant-at-Arms Ashley Stokes
The 2018–2019 national TSA officer team is working on a goal of increasing communications across the country—whether among members; between chapters and their state delegations; or between states:

  • Our first step in this process—creating Toolkits such as “Sample Program of Work,” “Sample Chapter Meeting Agenda,” and “Chapter Meeting Agenda Template.”
  • The national TSA officer team also is trying to increase state-to-state communication. On October 28th. many states participated in region conference phone calls run by the national TSA officers. State presidents shared what they have been doing this year, their thoughts on the refreshed national TSA website, and ideas for potential region projects. The regions will meet again—this time, in person—at the 2019 National TSA Conference.
  • We are also adding another state-to-state networking opportunity at this year’s National TSA Conference. For the first time, state officers from each office (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, and sergeant-at-arms) will meet with the national TSA officer who holds a corresponding office. State officers from non-nationally recognized offices will go to the office of their choosing. The purpose of this is to expand state-to-state communication beyond regions.
  • Finally, we encourage states to share their best practices to benefit chapters and other states.

Communication is key!
Deadline Approaches

The deadline is March 31 s t to submit LEAP Legacy portfolios. Your chapter could represent your state delegation and get the chance to win a cash prize at the 2019 National TSA Conference. Learn more here: https://tsaweb.org/competitions-programs/leadership-leap/leap-legacy-chapter/ .
School Scene (ISSN 1066-341X) is published three times a year by the Technology Student Association.
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