From AP Physics classes to a CCP Intro to Engineering class, WHHS presents many opportunities for students interested in STEM fields. A prime example of one of these opportunities is the WHHS Junior Engineering Technical Society, or JETS. Students with a passion for engineering can find a home in JETS, which provides students with real world experience in these topics.
“In JETS, individuals work in teams of eight to complete various activities such as a surprise build, mathematics examination, digital media designs and more,” SENIOR Dhruv Rungta said.
Students develop their skills throughout the school year in JETS and then put their intellects and abilities to the test in competition on regional, state and even national levels. The members learn about the work that truly goes into the engineering of a contraption, from the design and calculations to the coding and building.
Members have opportunities to experience real engineering facilities and technology hands on, outside of the classroom. “We went to a UC lab and got to play around with their self driving car simulator,” the Co-Captain of JETS, SENIOR Neil Ott, said.

This year’s club members spent the first three quarters of the school year gearing up for the regional competition, which took place on Feb. 26 at the University of Cincinnati. Last year’s JETS team took WHHS all the way to the National Engineering Conference in Washington, D.C., so the pressure was on for this year’s students.
The regional competition follows the annual theme of competition, this year’s being “Engineering in the Wild.” This means the tests and builds students are challenged to create on regional, state and national levels of competition will all follow this theme.
The 2020 regional competition’s topics included Sustainable Land Development, Engineering and Natural Systems, Environmental Damages from Renewable Energy and Transportation in the Frozen Tundra.
During the regional competition, student teams complete an “80 question math test and, following a snack break, they must create a design for and construct a model to perform a specific task,” Henry Hattemer, ‘21, said.
The WHHS teams prepared for months by completing “multiple choice practices and simulated builds either found online or created by leadership,” Ott said. This preparation certainly paid off, as Ott’s team, Team Sigma, scored highest of the WHHS teams that participated at the regional competition. Furthermore, the three WHHS teams that participated are among the top three test scores in the state of Ohio for the competition.
While learning more about engineering, the members of JETS also forge strong bonds and friendships. “My favorite part of JETS is being able to work and bond with your teammates and build a great network of friends,” Rungta said.
Competing against schools from the Tri-State area, WHHS rose to the occasion and are now preparing for the state competition and, hopefully, a return to nationals.