Spotlight on Education: Local Students Qualify for World Finals in Academic Competition

BRADENTON – Teams of students from Rowlett Elementary School and Southeast High School earned trips to the “Odyssey of the Mind 2013 World Finals” thanks to strong finishes at the state Odyssey of the Mind competition held in Orlando last weekend. The World Finals will be held May 22-25, at Michigan State University.

Two teams from Rowlett Elementary placed first at the state competition and earned spots in the upcoming World Finals. The first was coached by Samantha Robinson and Jodie Folds, and included team members: Jake Widdon, Areryn Sachs, Rob Woithe, Kyle Wampler, Justin Needham, Kaitlyn Bush and Campbell Shaw.

The second Rowlett team was coached by Kathy Gabanic and Jan Arthur, and included team members: Bella Brush, Hailey Maurer, Taylor Murphy, Emma Bivona, Reagan Williams, Selah Swanson and Elizabeth Bernate.

The team from Southeast High that qualified for the World Finals was sponsored by Michael Brooks and included team members: Mallory Robinson, Dorothea Hopkins, Lacey Sanchez, Kevin Weger, Beth Young, Emma Rissman and Iris Lopez.

In addition to those teams, other Manatee District schools that sent teams to the state Odyssey of the Mind competition included Wakeland Elementary School of International Studies and Johnson Middle School.

Odyssey of the Mind bills itself as "an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college." Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.