At 9 a.m. Feb. 13, 130 jags arrived at the Denver Marriott Tech Center hotel to attend the annual Technology Student Association (TSA) State Leadership Conference (SLC).

TSA, a national career and technology student organization (CTSO), aims to serve the needs of students working in fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Participants compete in a variety of events, ranging from biotechnology to music production, developing their teamwork and leadership skills along the way. 

In order to qualify for the state conference, TSA members competed at the district conference, held at Douglas County Fairgrounds Dec. 9. Only the chapter’s top placing teams from each event were allowed to advance forward.

Students who passed the district conference were either required to send in their projects online by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17, the early submission deadline, or turn their work in on-site at the hotel by 3 p.m. Feb. 13. The type of submission depended on the event. Throughout the three day conference, students dressed in formal attire and underwent interviews, prepared presentations, and had their work examined by judges. 

The conference officially kicked off on the night of Feb. 13, when all state conference participants attended the opening ceremony at 8:30 p.m.

National Sergeant-At-Arms Sen Yakandawala ‘26 was the night’s keynote speaker, delivering a speech on his journey through TSA and the lessons the organization taught him.

“Even though being on National Office is so much fun and means a lot to me, Colorado TSA is where I started, and I will forever be in debt to the opportunities they provided me,” Yakandawala said. 

New applicants for the TSA State Officer team, including jags Prish Gupta ‘26, Jonathan Duong ‘26, and Chase Stancik ‘27, gave their campaign speeches towards the end of the ceremony, afterward hosting a Meet and Greet to familiarize themselves with TSA members and better explain their initiatives for the future of the organization. 

Jonathan Duong ‘26 was nominated by the chapter to run for general office. 

“We built a trifold, and throughout the state conference, we spent a lot of time campaigning and really talking to members, seeing what they really want out of TSA,” Duong said. “The Meet and Greet is where people can really dive deep and ask questions, saying ‘Oh, what are the initiatives that you want to do, and what do you want to change about TSA?’”

Between events, students participated in the fundraising projects, workshops, and social events set up by the TSA committees, groups responsible for assisting in the planning and execution of the state conference. There were three committees in total: Outreach, Community and Resource. 

The Outreach Committee, headed by Ihita Kataru ‘26, focused on connecting with judges and businesses as well as running the Colorado TSA Instagram account. They managed the TSA store, where state conference participants could purchase TSA merchandise or materials necessary for their events, and set up Letters for Love, a card-making station where students could write notes for children in hospitals. 

“As a committee head, I was responsible for communicating with the state officers if we had anything we needed to purchase for our activities,” Kataru said. “I also submitted project proposals if we had any new activities we wanted to do.”

Other events allowed students to share their creations with other TSA state attendees, including the Movie Night and Fashion Show. 

The Fashion Show, scheduled on the night of Feb. 14, allowed students competing in the Fashion Design event to present their garments and strut down the walkway, surrounded by any interested viewers. This year’s theme, marching band-inspired outfits, meant intricate headwear and colorful uniforms. 

Nakshatra Biju ‘26 and her team won first place in the Fashion Design event. 

“I love walking down the runway and watching everyone’s faces,” Biju said. “I think it’s fun being able to see everyone’s reactions to different dresses.” 

The conference concluded with the closing ceremony on the morning of Feb. 15 at 9:30 a.m., where the State Officer team revealed information about the upcoming 2025 National TSA Conference in Nashville, Tenn. from June 27 to July 1. Afterward, students received medals for their events, and seniors on the State Officer team said their goodbyes to the organization, including State President Hana Lee ‘25. 

At the end of the ceremony, new State Officers were selected out of the applicants, with two jags earning their spots on the team: Prisha Gupta ‘26, serving as the 2025-2026 State Secretary, and Jonathan Duong ‘26, serving as the 2025-2026 State Treasurer. 

The chapter won 25 awards in total, with ten gold medals, seven silver medals and eight bronze medals. 

“Shout out to my fellow TSA members,” Duong said. “They’re the best part of my day, and they’re the people that really supported me throughout this. It’s the community, the people that I get to laugh with and the people that I love.”