Mesa View students win national innovative competition

Mesa View Middle School is one of four schools nationwide whose students received recognition for innovative math and science projects.

Four seventh-graders created a bike that beeps until the rider puts on a helmet. The Surf City Smartbikes was their project for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition sponsored by the U.S. Army.

The ninth annual eCybermission program, which put on STEM, encourages students to use technology, science and math in creative ways to help improve their communities, according to a release issued by the Army.

The students — Huongly Do, Grant Gochman, Zachary Goodale and Bijan Afghani — won at the state and regional levels before participating in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in June, said Kathy Pirkle, the students’ advisor and Zachary’s mom.

The three other winning student groups were from different grade levels — sixth, eighth and ninth, the release said.

Each student received $5,000 in saving bonds during the June 24 awards banquet in Washington in addition to other awards they received on the state and regional level.

— Mona Shadia