Maryville‑area students from Pellissippi State Community College’s Engineering Club returned home this week with more than just a rocket launch under their belts. Backed by NASA’s Tennessee Space Grant Consortium, the club spent a week in Minnesota competing in the 2025‑26 Space Grant Midwest High‑Power Rocketry Competition, where they designed, built and launched a rocket while tackling a unique communications challenge.
Learning beyond the classroom
The competition required each team to develop a system that could capture a coded message transmitted by flashing lights during flight. Although Pellissippi State’s rocket did not achieve a perfect launch, the experience proved invaluable. Club members discovered that engineering is as much about creativity, persistence and collaboration as it is about technical calculations.
Student leaders grow into engineers
Aleena Kokesh entered the club with limited hands‑on experience. Through projects that introduced her to programming, electrical circuits, soldering and 3D printing, she decided to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. Today she serves as the club’s president, guiding new members through the same learning curve she once faced.
Former club president Nolan Topor, a Maryville native who began his college journey through Tennessee Reconnect, transferred to Northeastern University to study electrical engineering. He credits his time in the club with building the technical and leadership skills that helped him succeed at a larger university.
Teamwork and mentorship
The competition highlighted the importance of teamwork. Students with varied abilities and interests had to combine their knowledge to solve problems that no single person could tackle alone. Faculty coordinator Olga Malkina provided mentorship, ensuring that the club’s projects remained grounded in real‑world engineering practice.
Looking ahead
For Kokesh, Topor and their peers, the takeaway is clear: success in engineering is not simply about having the right answer, but about learning how to find it together. The club’s participation in the competition for a second consecutive year demonstrates Pellissippi State’s commitment to offering students practical, hands‑on experiences that complement classroom instruction.
As the students return to Maryville, they bring with them new skills, confidence and a clearer vision of their future careers in engineering. Their story underscores the value of community‑college programs that blend academic learning with real‑world application, preparing the next generation of innovators for the challenges ahead.
Original reporting: Knox TN Today — read the source article.
