The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a club where students prepare for, participate in, and win various STEM-related challenges at the regional, state, and national levels. It may sound like just another STEM club on the surface, but anyone can find a place to compete no matter their expertise. Despite the emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math, challenge categories can vary from Computer-Aided Design Engineering to Digital Video Production, allowing students with varying skill sets to utilize their talents. In fact, most members competed in public speaking, graphic design, and other humanities and arts categories before the arrival of Mr. Gooss, whose guidance allowed the club members to dip their toes in more engineering-focused categories, such as Dragster and Flight. Occasionally the club likes to give a good laugh, going as far as dressing up in maid costumes during last year’s Fall Fest.

Over the past few years, MLWGS TSA has undergone tremendous growth, from gaining a new sponsor in Mr. Gooss to nearly quadrupling in numbers from 2021 to 2022. Originally in 2021, even as only a 10-member team, the chapter was able to place Maggie Walker as ninth best in the state. “So, in 2022, our then-15-person chapter decided we wanted to highlight that experience by building up TSA at MLWGS. Now here we are, 35 awards later, with two great advisors, with a boatload of awesome members,” said Sreemayi Gangireddy (‘25), former club president and now National TSA Reporter. 

With bigger numbers and a more robust support system, the team represented at the TSA National Conference for the first time last year, with their very own senior Parth Tornekar becoming the first National TSA Finalist from our school by placing seventh in Extemporaneous Speech. The team also swept at the 2000-person state conference, “Technosphere,” with many finalizing or winning top three in various categories. Four even ran for TSA State Office, with the club’s former vice-president Kushal Gowda (‘25) winning the election for State President. “It was also great to see the members gain a new experience, whether that be presenting for the first time or playing tag outside the hotel,” remarked co-president Rahmat Okegbenro (‘25). Regionally, we performed well, with nearly thirty members placing in all categories combined. 

One of the best aspects of TSA is the variety of challenges that students can compete in. In fact, last year, the most popular categories required minimal STEM experience. “My favorite challenge was Digital Video Production,” said co-president Aditya Badhrayan (‘25). The MLWGS team placed second regionally in this category. There are also other more unconventional challenges, such as Fashion Design, where the team blended a French-style corset with a traditional Indian half saree to match the theme of “Met Gala.” 

Maggie Walker has certainly left its mark with its TSA. The school has a National TSA finalist, the State TSA President, and the National TSA Reporter in the same chapter. In the upcoming year, club leadership is looking forward to staple events such as Fall Fest, Leadership Academy, regional competition, & the state conference, and the entire team will possibly make an appearance at Orlando, Florida, this summer for TSA Nationals. In 2023, club participation continues to expand. “I think people are starting to realize that TSA is a fun environment that gives you an avenue to work on something you’re passionate about,” mentioned Okegbenro. 

In the community, TSA has shown that there can be enjoyable and fun sides to highly technical problems and has encouraged students who are hesitant to join an organization with a seemingly exclusive STEM label to step outside of their comfort zones. Whether they are designing patterns online for Fashion Design, electronically composing a new song for Music Production, or holding a passionate debate on the future of AI technology, almost everything can be traced back to STEM in the modern world. TSA has proven that the arts & humanities and STEM aren’t so divided. 

When asked what the club means to them, the overwhelming response from club members was the close friendships that they formed with like-minded peers and the lessons they have learned from each other’s experiences. Gangireddy summarized it wonderfully, explaining, “First in my heart, though, still has to be our MW TSA people—we’re just an undefeatable crazy group of people, and that’s never going to change.”