The zing of joy shooting through Sloane French was unlike any other she had ever experienced. From her head topped with curly ginger hair, to the ballet flats on her feet, Sloane was radiating excitement and happiness. A proud smile stretched across her whole face, lighting up the room. She was finally standing up on the stage at the 2018 National Conference, accepting the Technology Student Association award.

On March 25, Sloane finally received this award after being part of the Technology Student Association (TSA) for six seasons, with six state conference runs and three national conference runs. She has worked diligently over the past years to earn her national recognition.

“Only a small portion of this large organization receive it,” she explained, “so it shows true dedication.”

The Technology Student Association is formed by hundreds of thousands of students across the country participating in STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and math). It is made up by both middle school and high school students that are dedicated within their technology education programs, who want to attend competitive events and have leadership opportunities.

Sloane had to go through a lengthy process in order to receive this award. Her application had to be vetted first by her team advisor, then sent to the state advisor. The state advisor reviews the application, resume, and letter of recommendation before giving it to the state president and five other state officers. If it passes through all of the representatives at that level, then it is sent to the National Technology Student Association where a committee can approve or deny it.

Since Sloane’s application was approved, she was awarded with national recognition and an induction into the Technology Honor Society. She notes that it “is pretty hard to be awarded because of all the panels that have to approve your application and the achievement you have to earn to be eligible to apply”.

She believes that the Technology Student Association has helped prepare her for a job, because it has helped develop her leadership skills, teamwork, and organization. Sloane closed with saying, “the connections that this award and this organization set you up with are extremely beneficial to future careers”.