Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE)
Trinity is proud of its WYSE team. Each year our students compete in the Academic Challenge contest. The Academic Challenge is a competitive series of tests created and administered by Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering and offered to high school students in Illinois and Missouri. The tests are now offered by more than 50 community colleges and universities and are designed to present a challenge to the brightest students.
Test material is drawn from senior high school and freshman level college curricula. Written by teams of college and university faculty, subjects include biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics, and physics. Each test production team produces three tests of increasing levels of difficulty, regional, sectional and state finals. Students compete as individuals and as part of a team. They have 40 minutes to complete multiple-choice tests that range in length from 30 questions (computer science) to 100 questions (English).
Last year, our students competed at the regional contest held at McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois where the Trinity team placed second in the small school category. We then went on to the Sectional held at Florissant Valley Community College. Our team finished FIRST in the small school division. This is the fourth straight year that the Trinity team has gone to the State Finals in the WYSE contest.
wyse update
At the annual WYSE State Finals held on April 15 at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, the Trinity High School team finished 2nd in Division II. This is the fourth time a team from Trinity has finished 2nd in the State.
Winning individual awards for Trinity were: Senior: EdFries (1st in Engineering Graphics)Juniors: Mike Ross (2nd in Engineering Graphics); Rick Hilmes (2nd in Physics); Katie Carpenter (2nd in Math) Other high scorers for Trinity were:Juniors: Mark Becker (Computer Science); Jennifer Astudillo (English)Sophomore: Garrett Beckham (Chemistry)Freshman: Ed Ross (Biology) The team finished first at Regionals in February and first at Sectionals in March in order to advance to the State Finals held in Rolla. Taking first place in Division II was Visitation Academy, and third place was Salem High School.
The team is coached by Mr. Frank Cange, chemistry and physics teacher at Trinity.