LEWISTOWN — Months of planning, problem-solving and creativity paid off in a big way for the Technology Student Association program at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, as one team emerged from the Pennsylvania TSA State Conference with the program’s most significant achievement of the year: a second-place finish and a berth at the TSA National Conference for the third year in a row.

It is quite remarkable that the Fashion Design team has transferred to nationals three years in a row — all three years these students had the opportunity to be in this club.

“This was an outstanding achievement,” said technology education teacher and TSA advisor Rebecca ConnerMiller. “States brings together the best teams in Pennsylvania, and finishing second speaks volumes about their skill and commitment.”

While some of the team members have changed through the years due to graduation, Emily Banks and Oak Yeater have been on the team the whole time. They placed second at nationals in 2024 and they finished seventh in 2025.

“Each of my years I participated in Fashion Design and Technology, acting as team captain and one of the core designers of the garment,” said Banks, who has been in TSA for the past three years. “This year our team has been reduced to three members, versus our typical four, causing more pressure to lie on the team.

“The garment itself also added pressure due to it being my first year sewing the garment and entirely by myself and the hats to work with materials,” Banks explained. “Through this process I refined my sewing skills, allowing us to place second at the state level and advance to nationals.”

This year’s Fashion Design and Technology team, consisting of Banks, Yeater and Annie Krohn, earned second place at the state level, putting them among the top teams in Pennsylvania in one of TSA’s most competitive design events.

Fashion Design and Technology is a demanding event that requires students to blend creativity with technical expertise. Teams research trends and functional needs, design original garments, construct finished pieces and compile extensive portfolios that document every step of their design process.

“Within TSA I have also served as vice president in my junior year and president this year,” Banks said. “In these roles and through the interview processes I have found how to be a respectable leader, speak in a professional manner, and carry myself with confidence. I am proud of the person I have become due to my experience in TSA and all of my successes throughout the past three years.”

At states, judges evaluate innovation, craftsmanship, documentation and professional presentation. Banks, Krohn and Yeater spent months refining their designs, working through revisions from early sketches to final construction. Their polished presentation and strong teamwork helped them stand out in a field that included some of the most established TSA programs in the state.

“They approach their work with real professionalism,” ConnerMiller said. “They revise thoughtfully, communicate clearly and support one another through the entire process.”

The second-place finish continues a strong run for Mifflin County’s Fashion Design team, which has consistently performed well at regional and state competitions. Their result also contributed to an overall successful state conference for the TSA program, which saw multiple students place highly across several events.

Music Production finishes fifth overall

Another strong performance came in Music Production, where Caleb Noerr and Marquise Siennick placed fifth overall. Their project required the creation and submission of an original musical work, along with extensive documentation of the composition and production process.

“Marquise and I spent many days working hard to write a composition celebrating the semi quincentennial anniversary of the founding of (this country) that embodies the spirit of America in the quintessential American march form,” Noerr said. “We are very proud that the Lewistown Community Band will be performing our composition this summer at their final concert. The support and enthusiasm from the amazing local musicians has been absolutely incredible, and we are extremely grateful to the people who have facilitated this.

“We would like to thank Stephanie Diehl for presenting our composition to the board of the community band, (retired Mifflin County High School Director of Bands) Arthur F. Belfiore for directing the small ensemble that made the original recording, (retired Mifflin County School district music teacher and band director) Mark Baylor for lending his audio recording equipment and expertise, and (current Mifflin County High School Director of Bands) Brandon Kahley for providing a space for rehearsal and recording.”

Board Game team posts seventh

The Board Game Design team, made up of Luke Foltz, Maya Morgan and Yeater, finished seventh at states. In this event, teams must design a fully playable original board game, complete with components, rules and a comprehensive design portfolio.

“I have been in TSA 3 years and my senior year has been the most successful,” Foltz said. “This year I decided to do Board Game Design with Maya Morgan and Oak Yeater since we were all friends and in the same class. We chose to do a game inspired by Catan and we called in the Witches Errands. It’s a strategy and luck based gathering game played on a hexagon tile board. Your goal is to collect the resources from tiles to make cards called magic cards that have a certain amount of them.”

At regionals, the team placed third and became the first from Mifflin County High School to place in the top three for Board Game Design. That led to some loftier expectations.

“So for states we made the decision to make the box all wooden and make it look like a spell book and open like a book,” Foltz added. “I spent about a month working on the box alone, and it was definitely worth the time because it turned out really professional looking.”

At states, the Game Board Design team took seventh, becoming the first from Mifflin County High School to place in the top 10 for Board Game Design.

“This is a huge win for me since I have never been close to this before and Board Game Design is one of the most competitive competitions in Pennsylvania TSA,” Foltz said.

Technology Bowl takes seventh

Mifflin County students also competed in the fast-paced Technology Bowl, where Banks, Krohn and Noerr earned a seventh-place finish. Technology Bowl is a live, quiz-style competition that tests students’ knowledge across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Yeater pushes third in pin design

In Pennsylvania Pin Design, Yeater added another podium finish for the Huskies with a third-place showing. The individual event requires students to design a pin that visually represents a specific annual theme, combining creativity, symbolism and graphic design principles.

“I have competed in the PA Pin Design for the past three years,” Yeater recalled. “My sophomore and junior year I was never able to reach the position of top 10, despite thinking that my designs were very representative of the state of Pennsylvania. So I decided to look more at my portfolio, thinking that that’s where my issues lies. This year I decided to do more research to help sell my design. My design for this year was that of Punxsutawney Phil standing in the snow with a sunrise behind him.

“I wrote in my portfolio about how Pennsylvania has the largest Groundhog Day celebration and how this celebration is deeply rooted in Pennsylvania history and culture,” Yeater added. “The new addition of supporting evidence to my portfolio was a great success. It got me seventh place at the regional competition and with a little tweaking to the design, a third-place finish at the states level. I am so glad I was finally able to make top 10, let alone top three this year since I have been working so hard to get there these past years.”

While advancement beyond states varies by event and placement, the breadth of Mifflin County’s finishes underscored the depth and growth of the TSA program. Several students competed in multiple categories, balancing demanding academic schedules with months of project development.

“TSA isn’t about last-minute work,” ConnerMiller said. “These students spend months researching, building, revising and practicing. Their placements reflect that long-term commitment.”

The state conference capped an already successful season that began with strong performances at the Region 8 Conference, where numerous Mifflin County students qualified for states — many in more than one event.

Beyond awards and rankings, ConnerMiller emphasized the value of the experience itself. TSA competitions mirror real-world environments, requiring students to manage deadlines, collaborate effectively, document their work and present confidently to judges.

“These are skills they’ll carry with them long after competition season ends,” she said. As the season wraps up, the results from states serve as both recognition and motivation for the program moving forward. “They represented their school extremely well,” ConnerMiller said. “This was a great year for Mifflin County TSA.”

Other students — Hannah Jones, Tatum Miller, Gabbi Swanger and Alessa Norris — competed in Children’s Stories, Digital Video Production and On-Demand Video. They did not place at states.

This year’s national competition will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. and National Harbor, Md., from June 22-26.