Schools
Wauwatosa West Among Top Ten In National 'We The People' Competition
Wauwatosa West High School students recently competed in simulated congressional hearings for a nationwide competition in Washington D.C.
WAUWATOSA, WI — Students from Wauwatosa West High School recently placed among the top ten teams in the nation to compete in the We the People: The Citizen and Constitution National Finals competition.
The American Public Policy Special Emphasis team won fifth place out of 48 schools at the national competition, marking the third year in a row that West has won a top ten ranking, according to a news release from the district. The APPSE course, offered at East and West, takes an in-depth look at government structures, rights, court cases and current events for students preparing for the We the People competition.
Students from West competed in Washington D.C. on Tuesday and were named No. 5 at an awards ceremony that evening, the district said. The academic competition, which saw around 1,000 students, lets students display civic knowledge and skills through simulated congressional hearings.
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“Wauwatosa West has worked hard to develop a reputation for excellence at the We the People competition - both at a regional and national level,” said Wauwatosa District Superintendent Demond Means in the release. “The hard work, motivation and consistent support of our students enrolled in APPSE is incredible. They are extremely deserving of this outstanding accomplishment and should be celebrated.”
Members of the team included: Eli Baierl, Addison Bott, Natalia Byrne, Luke Callahan, Claire Davis, Thomas Foersterling, Parker Gugala, Claire Guttormson, Lilly Jahr, Alex Jaworski, Melina Keenan, Vishisht Khare, Allie Kratochvil, Zoe Kunz, Marisa Leveille, Griffin Long, Nico Long, Phoebe Mann, Vincent McMurtry, Sophie Monagle, Haley Perrin, Michael Pups, Connor Reynolds, Alexis Rogness, Emily Roy, Kelly Weber, Maddie Weber, Lily Weishaar and Jacob Zielinski. Teaching Assistants include: Mallory Baish, Matthew Byrne, Sarah Cape, Logan Espinosa, Kira Kirby, Zach Nowacek, Amanda Schaefer and Conlan Welch.
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Chad Mateske coached the team while mentors included Tony Baish, Dan Hoefs, Mike Huitink, Erik Johnson, Lisa Lawless, Rebecca Salawdeh, Jynine Strand and Mark Young.
Over the past 16 years, a Wauwatosa team has earned a spot in the National Championship finals five times, according to the district.
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