Academic Team Competes In State Competition

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Academic Challenge Team was quick on the buzzer and correct when answering questions that would stump most individuals.  With a strong showing in the preliminary rounds of the 31st Annual Commissioner’s Academic Challenge competition, SLPS’s team qualified for the semi-final rounds and finished fifth overall in their division.  Teams from across Florida gathered at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World for this annual academic statewide event.

Makeda Brome coached the five-member team that included Geoffrey Zheng (LPA), Mali Kaminaga (LPA), Carlos Arce (LPA), Jared Diago (Westwood), and Dominick Kehoe (Treasure Coast). Geoffrey Zheng’s impressive accumulation of individual points landed him a coveted seat on Team Florida.  He was one of the six highest individual scorers in the competition.

Superintendent E. Wayne Gent expressed his appreciation for the dedication to excellence modeled by SLPS’s academic team.  “Team members are to be commended for their academic skills as well as their spirit of collaboration. I am proud of our students.”

About St. Lucie Public Schools

The mission of St. Lucie Public Schools is to ensure all students graduate from safe and caring schools equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire to succeed. For more information visit, www.stlucieschools.org  or contact Kerry Padrick at kerry.padrick@stlucieschools.org.

Pictured: St. Lucie Public School Academic Team (Front Row) Carlos Arce, Mali Kaminaga, Dominick Kehoe, Geoffrey Zheng (Back Row) Jared Diago, Team Coach Makeda Brome

Author: Lydia Martin

Staff - (Changed 3/19/2025 5:02:35 PM)