Stars Shine Off Campus at Canstruction Jr. and Model UN

It was a big weekend for our Upper School STARS as they participated in academic competitions across the state. From showing off their engineering expertise to developing their debating skills and knowledge of international relations, these students demonstrated teamwork, creativity, and a passion for learning that extends beyond the classroom.

Canstruction, Jr

For the fourth year in a row, the SAA Canstruction Team won the top award, Juror’s Favorite, at the Canstruction Jr. competition held at the University of Memphis. They also donated over 1,800 cans to the Tiger Pantry, which earned them the Food Bank Hero award.

Canstruction, Jr., which is sponsored by the West Tennessee Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, incorporates fundamental STEAM principles-Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics-while teaching the concepts of teamwork, brainstorming and community service. In the competition, teams are charged with building creative themed designs with non-perishable cans of food, which benefits local food banks. The theme for this year’s competition was Nourish Innovation!

This year’s Canstruction team members were Lilly Bacca, Clara Bolden, Mia Cortez, Hailey Frank, Sarah Juarez, Lia Martinez, Dalyn Nguyen, Xantha O' Brien, Grace Reece, Liza Russ and Lillian Vescovo. Their design, titled "CAN You Dig It? Harvesting Innovation in Agriculture," symbolized key milestones in agricultural progress, illustrating how each innovation has transformed the way we cultivate and sustain life.

Canstruction sponsor, David Tran shared, “Liza Russ, our Lead Designer and Co-Captain, designed the structure in Tinkercad and organized the PK2-12 can drive. Clara Bolden (Co-Captain) and Abigail Henninger led the effort to raise funds for our structures. With their leadership and the hard work of the entire team, we achieved these awards together.”

The St. Agnes team competed against students from public and private high schools, including some of their former SAA-SDS classmates who were representing CBHS. The CBHS team, comprised of Roman Brigance '22, Wes McIngvale '22, James Rump '22, and Hudson Tutor '22 and Adam Kelly (brother of SAA alumna Ryan Kelly ’24) won the award for Structural Ingenuity and donated 1200 cans.

Mr. Tran's encouragement was instrumental in launching the boys' team. We are proud that he is an ambassador for science learning throughout the city!

Model UN

Eight SAA Upper School students participated in the Model UN Conference in Murfreesboro, TN. They competed in teams writing and presenting resolutions hoping to bring the UN’s attention to issues affecting individual countries and regions across the globe. Our two SAA teams represented Honduras and North Macedonia.

Mirriam Okafor and Fiona Tenali received individual awards as “Outstanding Delegate,” which is given to individuals with exceptional skill and preparation for debate. The North Macedonia team won an award for “Outstanding Resolution,” which is given to the delegation that writes the most original and debatable resolution. Abigail Henninger was selected to be part of the 15-person Security Council, who worked as a team to decide on issues of international peace and security. Abigail represented Algeria on the Council.

The Honduran delegation consisted of Emma Games-Mejia, Karinsel Poblete and Jasmine Perez. The North Macedonia delegates were Catherine Hutton, Mirriam Okafor, Fiona Tenali and Cinthia Torres.

The SAA Model UN team is sponsored by Social Sciences teacher Kiersten Carey. Schools from all over Tennessee come together for the annual conference. Students learn about the UN's role in international affairs, diplomacy, and current world issues, while also developing skills in public speaking, writing, and research. 

Thank you to the Canstruction, Jr. and Model UN teams for representing St. Agnes Academy so well at these events. We are proud of you all!