Shaler Area Middle School students made an impressive showing in this year’s What’s So Cool About Manufacturing competition, a statewide filmmaking contest that challenges students to partner with local manufacturers and document the exciting, innovative work happening in their own communities. Two Shaler Area teams took on the challenge, each pairing with a distinct regional manufacturing partner, and both returned home with hardware to celebrate.
The team that partnered with Ace Wire Spring and Form earned second Place for Best Rookie Team—a remarkable achievement for a first-time entry into the competition. Meanwhile, their fellow Shaler Area students, who collaborated with Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, claimed first Place for Best Career Story, crafting a compelling narrative about the professional opportunities that exist within the manufacturing sector. Together, the two teams’ combined outreach efforts were recognized with a First Place award for Best Outreach Promotion Campaign, capping off an outstanding performance across multiple categories.
Beyond the trophies, the experience offered students something far more lasting: a firsthand look at the world of modern manufacturing. Far from the outdated stereotypes of dark factory floors, today’s manufacturing industry is driven by precision engineering, cutting-edge technology, and skilled professionals solving real-world problems every day. Competitions like What’s So Cool About Manufacturing give students the rare opportunity to step inside that world, ask questions, and tell those stories — planting seeds that may one day grow into rewarding careers in the field.
Congratulations to Nate Lorence, Abbie Knoop, Andrea Weisser, Owen Lebakken, Neva Cosentino, Evey Mikan, Ivy Veshio, Mary Jeanne Krakovsky, Javon Ronel, Peter Laing, RJ Balsomico, and Grant Cooper, Shaler Area Middle School teacher Dennis Reagle, and their manufacturing partners at Ace Wire Spring and Form and Mitsubishi Electric Power Products. This kind of community partnership between schools and industry is exactly what prepares the next generation for success, and these students have represented their school and their region with distinction.
