Morgan Park Academy Senior Places 3rd at State Finals of Science & Engineering Academic Challenge

Senior Jeffrey Eichinger of Beverly achieved Morgan Park Academy’s best individual finish in three years at the WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) state finals, placing third in Division 300 in engineering graphics.

Jeffrey, who also competed in computer science, was among six MPA students who qualified for the state finals, held April 16 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The group also included senior Ahad Hashmi (math); juniors Hiba Katerji (chemistry), Augustine Liu (chemistry), and Pramukh Sreerama (engineering graphics); and sophomore Daniel Jesuthasan (math).

Morgan Park Academy’s WYSE team annually places individual competitors at the state finals, but had not had a top-three finisher since winning the Division 300 state championship in 2012.

WYSE is an international program headquartered at U of I, offering the annual academic challenge competition, summer camps, and other programs. Its primary goal is to attract a greater number of talented and diverse students to careers in engineering and the sciences.

MPA was first in Division 300 by a wide margin at February’s regional tournament, capturing 13 of the 14 first- and second-place spots.

Morgan Park Academy is the South Side’s small-scale independent school for real learning, educating students in preschool through grade 12. See more at morganparkacademy.org.