Tinley Park High School Student Wins 28th International High School Bridge Building Contest
Sasha Bajzek, a sophomore at Tinley Park High School was the winner of 28th International High School Bridge Building Contest, held at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) on April 23. The contest is judged based on design, construction, and efficiency of the bridges.
Sasha's bridge, which weighed 2/3 of an ounce, won the contest by supporting a load of over 202 pounds or 4,738 times its own weight before breaking. She was also the winner of the February regional contest when she built a bridge which supported 125 pounds or 2991 times its own weight.
The participants Sunday were the winners of the regional contest held at IIT in February. Students build their bridges from basswood, and the model bridges are intended to be simplified versions of real-world bridges, which are designed to accept a load in any position and permit the load to travel across the entire bridge. The purpose of the contest is to promote the fundamentals of physics and help high school students develop new skills.
Sasha has been awarded a half-tuition scholarship to IIT and plans to study Civil Engineering at the University.
About Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused, research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. One of 16 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), Illinois Tech offers exceptional preparation for professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
