The Oswego Technology Student Association (OTSA) recently took home six awards at the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) Eastern Regional Conference.

SUNY Oswego earned first place in the transportation and problem-solving categories, and second place in the communications video, manufacturing, robotics and poster session categories.

Each fall, the conference in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center, brings colleges and universities from throughout the East Coast to compete against one another. 

“There is no sole person behind running the conference, it’s the schools who put it on,” Daniel Hall, a technology education major and president of the OTSA, said of the November conference. The previous fall, SUNY Oswego sponsored the conference, while Millersville and Pennsylvania Western oversaw the most recent event.

As a sponsor, the designated school will be in charge of providing the registration materials, supplies and t-shirts that students will wear in competition. The only thing students have to pay for separately is registration fees. 

The conference spans from Thursday evening to Saturday morning with different STEM oriented activities and challenges. For each competition, teams receive a prompt and must work together to produce a product.

Recently the OTSA club has worked on pushing practices for the conference earlier in the semester. They also have had more time through the help of their professors, who can give them access to open labs and allow them a space to work into late hours of the night.

“Working on this outside of the classroom and applying the skills to a project beyond that feels like my depth of knowledge has grown,” said Sean Dean, a technology education major involved in OTSA.

OTEA has earned a lot of awards in regional and national competitions, and graduate student Bryleigh Beauchat noticed the continued growth and success. 

“This being my fifth year at Oswego, the growth from my freshman year to now is crazy,” said Beauchat. “We have upwards of 20 members right now and hopefully growing.”

‘Work and fun’

One of the most recent club members, Gavan Smith attended the competition for the first time this November and helped with creating the communications video alongside other students, Holly Munson and David Southwick. The video would receive second place at the competition, as they had to show what it means to “nail it.”

“It was a really good field trip, with the perfect balance of work and fun activities,” said Smith. 

Overall, members of the club agree that it has given students a positive impact.

Whether it be a place to surround themselves with encouraging peers, experience networking or just try something new, OTSA has been a club many can make lasting memories with, even outside the major. 

“This year we even have a linguistics major,” said Dean. “Even though the major is not too similar to our area of study, it still allows for us to gain a more diverse skill set and perspective.”

Members acknowledge that the club holds a friendly atmosphere and that it is not as nerve racking as others may think.

“My best advice is don’t get in your head about it,” said David Bender, who was a part of the robotics team for OTSA. “I may be biased since I have been participating in these kinds of competitions since high school, but it’s really a great opportunity.”

The club welcomes anyone to join and will have meeting times continue every Monday in Park Hall 213 for the spring 2025 semester. 

The club also expressed gratitude for the Department of Technology, as the faculty and staff have given members immense support and pushed them to work harder.

Looking forward, the club is not finished competing and will attend the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEECA) conference next semester held in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Students interested in learning more about OTSA or being involved can reach out to the club’s email: osta@oswego.edu or follow their Instagram page: @oswego_tech.

–- Written by Leila LaJoie of the Class of 2024