The Bledsoe Engineering Team, also known as the Bledsoe Challengers, kick-started their group this year with a dream to compete in NASA's Human Rover Competition in Huntsville, Alabama. Here at Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, we heavily support and encourage STEM growth in our education systems. We wanted to help make the dreams of these young engineers possible by presenting the group with $1,750 towards their travel, supplies, and competition fees. 

The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge is one of the agency's highest-profile Artemis Student Challenges, providing hands-on experience to future scientists and engineers whom one day may even plan new NASA science and discovery missions.

After the Bledsoe Challenger's pursuit of the highly ranked competition, they were chosen to compete in the challenge. Their teacher and team advisor Michiel Palmer helped get this whole adventure started. He has been able to open many doors for the students in the STEM field, and has cultivated a new-found interested in science, engineering and leadership.

This year, 96 teams were chosen to compete in the Challenge, only seven of which are from Tennessee, and of those Tennessee teams just 2 are high school teams. The Bledsoe Challengers have been tasked to build a human-powered rover out of a combination of manufactured and hand-built parts. Their team consists of 10 students and each have a different job to help create the finished product. With all these working parts, Team Lead William Keener is in charge of keeping track of each section and making sure the teamwork is moving smoothly. Keener himself has hopes to work for NASA someday and like many of his other team members, is very excited for this opportunity to learn more about engineering and to live out a dream.

The SVEC family is very proud of this fine group of students, some of our future leaders and engineers. We wish them all the best of luck on this Journey! 

To read more about this amazing group visit their website: BCHS Engineering Team Challenge