FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2026

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North Carolina earns 58 Top Ten national placements, five national championships, a national officer election, advisor honors, and multiple national recognitions

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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — June 2026 — North Carolina Technology Student Association (NCTSA) had an outstanding showing at the 2026 National TSA Conference, held June 22–26, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

North Carolina TSA earned 58 Top Ten national placements across middle school and high school events and celebrated the election of Ted Boulanger of Apex Friendship High School as the 2026–2027 National TSA Vice President.

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North Carolina finished as a Top 7 state nationally overall, a Top 6 state in middle school events, and a Top 7 state in high school events. These results demonstrate North Carolina TSA’s continued excellence and competitiveness across a wide range of STEM, engineering, technology, design, communication, leadership, robotics, computer science, and innovation events.

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“North Carolina TSA shows what CTE that works looks like in action: students applying classroom learning to real-world challenges, competing with excellence on the national stage, and proving at the TSA National Conference that career and technical education builds the leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow.” said Dr. Jerianne Taylor, North Carolina TSA State Advisor. “The 2026 National TSA Conference was a tremendous success for our delegation, and we are incredibly proud of our students, advisors, school systems, and families who helped make this achievement possible.”

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National Championships

North Carolina earned five national championships at the 2026 National TSA Conference.

Event

Place

School/Student

Cybersecurity MS

1st

Stella Dubinina, Triangle Math and Science Academy

STEM Animation MS

1st

Quail Hollow Middle School

System Control Technology MS

1st

Hanes Magnet School

Transportation Modeling HS

1st

Adway Patel, Ardrey Kell High School

Webmaster HS

1st

Ardrey Kell High School

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Second-Place Finishes

Event

Place

School

Engineering Design HS

2nd

Ronald Wilson Reagan High School

STEM Mass Media HS

2nd

Ardrey Kell High School

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Third-Place Finishes

Event

Place

School/Student

Architectural Design HS

3rd

Ronald Wilson Reagan High School

Data Science and Analytics HS

3rd

Ronald Wilson Reagan High School

Drone Challenge UAV MS

3rd

Mills Park Middle School

Flight MS

3rd

Alexander Pintilie, Davis Drive Middle School

Mechanical Engineering MS

3rd

Mills Park Middle School

Senior Solar Sprint HS

3rd

NC School of Science & Mathematics, Durham

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Schools with Multiple Top Ten Finishes

Several North Carolina TSA chapters had especially strong national performances.

Ardrey Kell High School earned top finishes in Webmaster, Transportation Modeling, STEM Mass Media, Drone Challenge, and Promotional Design.

 

Ronald Wilson Reagan High School placed in Architectural Design, Data Science and Analytics, Engineering Design, Manufacturing Prototype, and Video Game Design.

 

Hanes Magnet School earned multiple middle school Top Ten finishes, including a national championship in System Control Technology MS, as well as placements in Digital Photography, Drone Challenge, Mass Production, Solar Racer, Structural Engineering, and Website Design.

 

Mills Park Middle School earned Top Ten placements in Career Prep, Drone Challenge, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Technology, and Prepared Speech.

 

Triangle Math and Science Academy had a strong middle school showing with placements in Biotechnology, Children’s Stories, Cybersecurity, Data Science and Analytics, Forensic Technology, and Tech Bowl.

 

Davis Drive Middle School also performed strongly with Top Ten finishes in Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Flight, Inventions & Innovations, Mechanical Engineering, Technical Design, and Website Design.

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Additional National Recognition

In addition to competitive event success, North Carolina TSA received several major recognitions during the national conference.

North Carolina TSA was one of five states recognized as a Forward towards Fifty Delegation for meeting its chapter growth goal as defined by National TSA.

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The North Carolina TSA delegation included 484 total participants.

North Carolina TSA chapters and the state delegation were recognized with the Red Award from the American Red Cross for raising more than $2,000.

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Dr. Jerianne Taylor was recognized for 10+ years of service as State Advisor and as a TSA Board of Directors Corporate Member.

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North Carolina Advisor of the Year Honorees

Two North Carolina TSA advisors were recognized for their outstanding service and leadership.

Justin Walker of Heritage Middle School, Wake County Public Schools, was recognized as the TSA Middle School Advisor of the Year for North Carolina.

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Richard A. Platt of Ronald Wilson Reagan High School, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, was recognized as the TSA High School Advisor of the Year for North Carolina.

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Gold Achievement Status Recipients

The following North Carolina TSA members were recognized for achieving Gold Status through the TSA Achievement Program:

Student

School

Archisha Das

Heritage YR Middle School

Vladimir Dimov

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Eloise Egger

Riverside High School

Shana Gordon

Riverside High School

Jade Jones

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Malvika Karna

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Tharini Kathikeyan

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Elsa McGalliard

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Nivedya Nair

Atkins Academic and Technical High

Frankie Eleanor Sheppard Olen

Riverside High School

Avijith Vinod

Atkins Academic and Technical High

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North Carolina was especially strong at the middle school level, ranking 6th nationally with 37 Top Ten placements and three national championships. NCTSA middle school programs earned national championships in Cybersecurity MS, STEM Animation MS, and System Control Technology MS, with additional strength in Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Drone Challenge, Flight, Mechanical Engineering, Technical Design, Website Design, and other events

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At the high school level, North Carolina’s results were led by Ardrey Kell High School, Ronald Wilson Reagan High School, NC School of Science & Mathematics–Durham, Panther Creek High School, Green Level High School, Apex Friendship High School, and others. North Carolina earned high school national championships in Transportation Modeling HS and Webmaster HS, both from Ardrey Kell High School.

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About North Carolina TSA

North Carolina Technology Student Association is a career and technical student organization that provides middle and high school students with opportunities to develop leadership, academic, and technical skills through STEM-focused competitive events, conferences, community service, and leadership experiences. North Carolina TSA prepares students to lead, compete, and achieve in engineering, technology, design, communication, robotics, computer science, and STEM innovation.

Media Contact:
North Carolina TSA
Email: stateadvisor@nctsa.org
Website: nctsa.org

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