Rochester Team Wins Future City Competition in Novi

For the fourth straight year, students from St. John Lutheran School in Rochester won top honors at the 2014 Michigan Regional Future City Competition held Monday in Novi. 

St. John bested 18 other teams in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) competition to envision a city more than 150 years into the future. This year's theme: “Tomorrow’s Transit: Design A Way To Move People In And Around Your City.”

Justin Judd, 13, Paul Rosa, 13, and Rebecca Oleskie, 14, represented their 15-member team as presenters for judges who toured and ranked models at the Suburban Collection Showplace Monday morning. Future City is offered as an extra-curricular activity, and the team has been working on their model since school started last fall.

Oleskie, who joined the team in 6th grade, said Future City has helped her decide on a career.

"My grandma was in a nursing home, and I want to be a civil engineer, to work on access and to help people like that," she said. 

The St. John team will now prepare for February's national competition held in Washington, D.C. In addition to the top award, they also earned these special awards:

• Best Award for Architectural Engineering of an Integrated High Performing City sponsored by Lawrence Technological University; 
• Quality Improvement Award sponsored by the American Society for Quality, Greater Detroit Section 1000; 
• Best Communities by Design Award sponsored by American Institute of Architects, Michigan;
• Quality Improvement Award sponsored by the American Society for Quality, Greater Detroit Section 1000;
• Best Communities by Design Award sponsored by American Institute of Architects, Michigan;
• Most Use of Alternative or Renewable Fuels Award sponsored by Dürr Systems Inc.
• People’s Choice Award sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund