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June 2, 2015
Affinity F1, the Formula One in Schools national
championship team from Granbury High School, received a big donation for the
second year in a row from the Granbury Chamber of Commerce during the Granbury
ISD employees’ end-of-year Summer Launch event on June 2, 2015, at the James
Wann Sports Center.
Chamber board chairman Jeff McKenzie and president
Mike Scott presented a $5,000 contribution to the student organization, which won
the F1 in Schools national championship on May 15-16 at the Michigan
International Speedway and will represent the United States in the world
finals.
The chamber will serve as the Title Sponsor for the
F1 team, which is advancing to the 2015 World Finals to
be held September 13-16 in Singapore. The competition will bring students
from more than forty countries to Southeast Asia “in a combined display of
talent ahead of a blistering final showdown where the winning teams will be
crowned.”
Chamber officials made a similar contribution last
summer, when Affinity was advancing to the 2014 world finals in Abu Dhabi.
“Our
success throughout the many stages of this competition has only been possible
with the partnerships we have developed with local businesses, organizations,
and industry professionals,” commented GHS engineering teacher and team coach
Todd Gibson. “As we enter the final
stage of this journey, we are highly motivated by the way our community and
local businesses have supported us both financially and by lending a helping
hand.”
This marks the third straight year
for GHS to qualify for the international contest. In 2013, the United
States hosted the competition in Austin.
Team Affinity is composed of Hayden Coppenbarger,
Kayla Curtis, Tyler Johnson, Daniel Valdez, Tommy Wallace, and Clay Walters. Both Coppenbarger and Johnson graduated from
GHS in May but will still be traveling to Signapore with their teammates. Gibson is assisted by GISD career and
technical education director Judy Gentry.
F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in
which teams of students aged 9 to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate,
design, analyze, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas-powered balsa
wood F1 cars. The challenge inspires
students to use technology to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design,
manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork,
media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical,
imaginative, competitive and exciting way.
Pictured above are (left to right) chamber board president
Mike Scott, GISD superintendent Dr. James Largent, chamber board chairman Jeff
McKenzie, Affinity team member Kayla Curtis, and GHS teacher Todd Gibson.
