NeoCity Academy, a Kissimmee charter school, has some of the top technological curriculums in Osceola County, and it’s producing students with STEM training.
They’re among the best in the state as well, as proven by the Technology Student Association team’s top-four finish in February’s Florida State Competition in Orlando. The Knights teamed up with middleschoolers from Parkway Middle to form a 25-person team that is learning technology skills to work in a digital-based society.
That provided the right to show off their acumen in cybersecurity and engineering at the TSA national competition in Dallas June 25-30 to showcase Osceola County’s winning tradition in the STEM field.
But to compete in Dallas, they have to get to Dallas. And that takes money.
While the School District of Osceola County is able to provide some help to defray the nearly $800 per student, that still leaves quite the bill to cover travel, lodging and food expenses while in Dallas.
“We have several students who need financial support in order to participate,” Parkway Middle School Principal Megan Gould wrote in an open letter to community business sponsors.
Carlos Diaz, a NeoCity junior on the team, has also taken it upon himself to reach out to businesses. He wrote his own letter to the community, in both English and Spanish.
Diaz is in the cybersecurity track at NeoCity, and has been a part of the TSA team since his sophomore year, and is excited to compete on the national level with the team after earning fourth place in the state in Webmaster and cybersecurity competitions.
“I’ve never done anything like this,” he said, sharing the excitement of his mother Yolymarie. “In our STEM projects we have to focus on communication and collaboration in order to be successful.”
As part of working with the TSA, Diaz said he’s learned about finding vulnerability in websites and eliminating “back door” access point.
“To keep people out, you have the think like the people who are trying to get in,” he said.
The Panda Express Osceola Parkway location held a fundraiser in April for the team; Fundraising is now being done through Parkway. NeoCity student expenses will be paid through Parkway’s account. Individuals, businesses and groups who donate $100 will be honored with their name on the back of the team’s shirts, which they’ll wear during travel and at casual events during the competition.
