Marianas High School’s Dolphin Aeronautics team members pose with their project: “Doc-30,” a compact and lightweight Uncrewed Aircraft System tailored for wildfire management.
The members of Marianas High School’s Dolphin Aeronautics are Jayden, Gwanpil Son, Jedric Aniciete, Juruel Magtalas, Joseph Victor Jimenez, Anjae Maria Bejerano and trainees Gwanhun Son and Soarin Oh.
(MHS) — Marianas High School’s Dolphin Aeronautics team represented the CNMI in the 2024 national competition of the Real World Design Challenge.
RWDC is an annual competition that tasks high school students with solving simulated real-world engineering problems. Students work in teams to design, analyze, and present solutions to challenges presented by industry partners. The competition aims to foster interest in STEM fields and develop students’ technical and collaborative skills through hands-on, project-based learning experiences.
The MHS RWDC team comprised of Jayden Shin (physicist), Gwanpil Son (plane engineer), Jedric Aniciete (components executive), Juruel Magtalas (business analyst), Joseph Victor Jimenez (CAD specialist), Anjae Maria Bejerano (mathematician), along with trainees Gwanhun Son and Soarin Oh.
Their project, “Doc-30,” a compact and lightweight Uncrewed Aircraft System tailored for wildfire management, stood out for its innovation and practicality. The drone aircraft system had a five-mile communication range designed to conduct remote surveillance to collect real-time data for wildfire combat and mitigation.
Participation in the RWDC has had a profound impact on the team members’ future aspirations in STEM-related fields. From aerospace engineering to civil engineering, this year-long experience of research, experimentation, and simulation provided an authentic learning experience of collaborative innovation and interdisciplinary problem-solving, shaping the next generation of STEM leaders.
MHS remains dedicated to nurturing and growing STEM programs for its students, evident in the success of the Aeronautics team. Through hands-on experiences and mentorship opportunities, students are empowered to explore their interests and pursue exciting career pathways in STEM.
