Page 5 - 2019 - Altiora Vol 70 Sem 1 B_Neat

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: F1 IN SCHOOLS | 5

BMGS continues to lead the way in STEM
education.
In March, a team of five Year 10 Design &
Technology students from Blue Mountains
Grammar School took on Australia’s best in
the 2019 F1 in Schools National Final and,
following an intense week of competition,
were announced National Champions.
Under the guidance of Mr. Michael Laws
(Technology and STEAM teacher) the
team – Thrust Vector – comprising Zachary
Burgess (Marketing Manager), Matthew
Foster (Graphic Designer), Finley Hastie
(Manufacturing Engineer), Nicholas Hayes
(Design Engineer) and Mirah Larkin (Team
Manager) moved undefeated through the
knock-out rounds to reach the National Final.
In addition to the racing component and
delivering engineering presentations for both
computer-aided design and manufacturing
processes, the students conducted marketing
interviews at their pit booths and gave verbal
presentations for their team’s vision and
enterprise.
At the end of the competition, not only
were Thrust Vector in overall Firstplacing,

they had also been awarded Best Verbal
Presentation, the Innovation Award, Best
Engineered CAD, Best Manufactured Car,
and Best Engineered Car; winning six of the
ten available awards.
This is the fourth time in four years that a
BMGS team has qualified for the State Finals
of this prestigious STEM competition, and
the second successive year of qualifying
for the National Finals. Thrust Vector will
now represent Australia at the international
competition in Abu Dhabi, in November. To
contest the World Finals the team needs to
raise more than $40,000, and were thrilled
when event sponsors Bosch helped launched President of Bosch Australia, Mr. Gavin Smith, presents Mr.
their campaign with a donation of $2,500. Laws and the team with his company’s donation.

Nicholas Hayes, Matthew Foster, Mirah Larkin, Zac Burgess and Fin Hastie