By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, May 23 – A Tibetan American youngster has achieved a rare feat of winning the Seventh Annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) last Saturday (May 16, 2009) taking on the title of national champion.
Tenzin Sonam, son of Phurbu Tsering and Tsetan Dolkar, immigrant Tibetans from Madison, Wisconsin, is a member of a team from Madison West High School in Madison which had two more teams qualified among the top 100 teams that competed in the finals in The Plains, Virginia.
The contest, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry, is designed to encourage students to consider careers in aerospace.
The contest began last September with a total of 653 teams from 45 states and the District of Columbia. About 7,000 middle and high school students took part in the qualifying rounds but only 100 teams made it to the finals.
The student teams were required to design, build and launch a model rocket to an altitude of 750 feet with a flight time of 45 seconds and a raw-egg payload situated horizontally to mimic the position of an astronaut. The egg had to return to earth unbroken in order for the launch to qualify.
Tenzin’s team, which will represent the United States of America at the International Paris Air Show in June, has won a prize pool of more than $60,000 to be shared with other top finishers. The top three teams win $5,000 in scholarship, and an invitation from NASA to participate in its Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program.
Tenzin’s parents said they were proud of their son’s achievement. “His achievement surely will be an encouragement for the Tibetan youth to strive for excellence in their education. As Tibetans, we believe it’s an honor not just for us but also for the Tibetan immigrant community in the United States.”
Other members of Tenzin’s team are Jacqui German, John Schoech and Ben Winokur.
